What do you REALLY think of the northern influx? (Charlotte: 2013, live in)

[michgc]

Poppydog,

All of the links you posted are from in New England. People from New England use the Yankee moniker to describe objects or places based on their colonial heritage - they don't call people Yankees (except for the baseball team). That is not the same as a Southerner calling anyone who is from a state that fought for the union a Yankee (or for some Southerners - anyone who isn't from the South).

Having grown up in Pennsylvania, there was no association for us with the New England term Yankee. I'd say the same is true for the rest of the Mid-Atlantic. We are not New England, yet Southerners extend the term "Yankee" to us too. Why? And how come no one in the Midwest, Southwest, Mountain states, or West call people from north of the Mason Dixon line a Yankee. but Southerners persist?

[michgc]

Originally Posted by MikeJaquish

Yeah. You probably thought that Haverford was in the sticks.

"Pennsylvania is Philly and Pittsburgh, with Alabama in between."
I just might be from Alabama, PA.

In truth, I grew up in Havertown and Newtown Square - not QUITE the Main Line, but my comeback to you wouldn't have had the same cachet had I said that. But, yes, Pennsylvania was a whole other world outside of Philly. They don't call it Pennsyltucky for nothing. Having said that, I didn't hear the word "redneck" used until I moved to Maryland.

[poppydog]

Like I said, I don't usually use the term, so don't lump me in with Southerners as calling folks from up North "yankees". Some do, sure, but not all.

However, "yankee" is a term that according to the dictionary definition refers to "a native or inhabitant of a northern U.S. state, especially of one of the northeastern states that sided with the Union in the American Civil War" so I would imagine that's where it's coming from and according to that definition it's not _wrong_, per se. The baseball team probably does help perpetuate the term in popular consciousness, too. Some folks from the South may think "New York" and then add on "Yankees" as the next part. I don't think as many people in the South differentiate New England from the Northeast — it's all north of us! And when you have "New York Yankees" floating around out there everywhere some Southern people may figure everyone from New York is a Yankee.

[C_Lan]

In my experience the folks using the term "yankee" are not checking its dictionary definition prior to throwing it out there. However, I've yet to meet anyone born in NC that uses the term. It only pops up here on the forum.

[hey_guy]

i used it in regards to the article implicit embrace of the yankee moniker (Cary).

I think anyone who feels negative or has negative connotations about the south is indeed a yankee. Just because you've on some level identified yourself as 'not part of that'

It's like the inverse of redneck.

And, well, if you use redneck. Did you not expect the rednecks would have a word for you

but yeah living in rural areas I've heard it more it's used as a word for urbanites and people unsuitable for rural life. Kinda like city slicker i guess.


Anyway I think Cary is an assimilation failure. It's more of an enclave. Honestly chapel hill, cary, morrisville, apex are all assimilation failure. Why do you think it's full of people scractching their heads and going 'gee where are the natives?' I guess at its best it can be like an ellis island and a place where older transplants can settle and not too much culture shock and their kids can explore other places.

To me the future is in the Raleigh Durham revitalization and hopefully what's happening there will help drive the 21st century identity for the state. And that story involves much more people than the natives and the northern transplants.

[grayTJY6]

I moved from the Triangle and back to the Northeast recently, but my NC born husband definitely uses the word "Yankee", as did all his native-born friends from Cary/Raleigh/Morrisville, and his family down on the coast. This includes college educated natives - not 'rednecky' types! I was jokingly referred to as a Yankee by several of my own Southern friends at work - but only after they got to know me really well. I think that calling someone a Yankee is something vaguely in the realm of "Bless your heart" (which absolutely does not mean something flattering either). IMO, referring to 'Yankees' is hidden behind the veil of Southern politeness, so you're generally not going to hear the term thrown around while you're out and about (like you will with the heart blessing). But - on the anonymous internet and behind closed doors - yeah, many of them are calling us Yankees

[poppydog]

Originally Posted by C_Lan

In my experience the folks using the term "yankee" are not checking its dictionary definition prior to throwing it out there. However, I've yet to meet anyone born in NC that uses the term. It only pops up here on the forum.

I didn't mean that people were checking the dictionary as far as "where it's coming from", but that they were using that 3rd definition, rather than the 2nd definition, 2.a native or inhabitant of New England., and certainly not the 1st definition, 1.a native or inhabitant of the United States. Not sure who uses that. I know folks in the UK used to/maybe still do call Americans "Yanks" w/o the "ee".

[poppydog]

Originally Posted by grayTJY6

"Bless your heart" (which absolutely does not mean something flattering either).

"Bless your heart" is merely an expression of sympathy. It DOES NOT necessarily mean anything snarky. It CAN be used sarcastically, but it can also be used sincerely. All depends on the tone of voice and intention.

"Bless her heart. She's had such a hard time lately with her mother being sick and the twins coming prematurely."

"Bless her heart. She never did have sense enough to come in out of the rain. She'd lose her head if it wasn't screwed on."

If they just say "bless your heart" you have to figure out what they mean, but I'm an optimistic person and usually choose to interpret it as positive. If I drop a heavy dictionary on my foot and someone says "Oh, bless your heart," I don't take it as "you clumsy oaf", but more as "ouch, that must have hurt". Personally, I don't know anyone who uses that expression very much any more. It's something my elderly mom used to say and I have one or two Southern friends who will say it very occasionally, but not snarkily.

It's a little more subtle than "I'm sorry", but basically has the same meaning.

"I'm so sorry for her. She's had such a hard time lately..."

"Well, I'm soooo sorry, but she never did have enough sense...

[MikeJaquish]

Originally Posted by poppydog

Like I said, I don't usually use the term, so don't lump me in with Southerners as calling folks from up North "yankees". Some do, sure, but not all.

However, "yankee" is a term that according to the dictionary definition refers to "a native or inhabitant of a northern U.S. state, especially of one of the northeastern states that sided with the Union in the American Civil War" so I would imagine that's where it's coming from and according to that definition it's not _wrong_, per se. The baseball team probably does help perpetuate the term in popular consciousness, too. Some folks from the South may think "New York" and then add on "Yankees" as the next part. I don't think as many people in the South differentiate New England from the Northeast — it's all north of us! And when you have "New York Yankees" floating around out there everywhere some Southern people may figure everyone from New York is a Yankee.

I think the Yankees should revert to the New York Highlanders, and then Catfish Hunter would not be tarnished by being remembered as a Yankee.
Not sure whether Catfish may have been a redneck or hick, but was he ever really a Yankee?

This categorization stuff is so confusing!

[C_Lan]

Abraham Lincoln wisely rejected the bill to create the internet for he foresaw the written division it would bring about.