To the rest of the world a 'Yank' is a citizen of the United States, but I believe it means something more specific in the US itself, but what?

Arpeggionist

Yank is short for "Yankee", and is often used in the southern states as a negative term for people from northern states. Jun 16 07, 11:35 AM

billythebrit

Thanks. But out of interest, what do the northern states call the southerners? Jun 16 07, 11:36 AM

Arpeggionist

I don't believe there is a derogatory word for them, at least not one that I've heard used often... Jun 16 07, 11:42 AM

star_gazer

During the Civil war the Northerns were called by the Southerners "Yanks" or "Yankees", and the Southerns were called by the Northerns "Rebels" or "Rebs". Jun 16 07, 11:48 AM

billythebrit

So why the 'New York Yankees' if the term is derogatory? Jun 16 07, 11:58 AM

star_gazer

"Yankee" is by no means an insult! Depending on the situation it may be mildly derogatory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee Jun 16 07, 1:05 PM

Arpeggionist

It's only derogetory in the South, depending on the context. The word Yankee of course dates back to long before the American civil war, and (especially in the northern states) actually had its positive spin. To pre-civil-war Americans, a Yankee was someone who was proud of his Amercan heritage and had no real ties to the British (as in the song "Yankee Doodle Dandy"). Jun 16 07, 2:34 PM

queproblema

I can't pass this one up. According to my mother, to a person outside the USA a Yankee is an American, to an American a Yankee is a Northerner, to a Northerner it's a New Englander, to a New Englander it's someone who eats fruit pie for breakfast, to said person it's someone who eats it hot from the oven. Jun 16 07, 3:38 PM

queproblema

I'd thought my mother had learned this from a relative who composed it, but we're not related to E.B. White! (If he really composed it--there are many internet claims, but I can't verify it.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee#In_the_United_States Aug 06 10, 10:51 PM