[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Wwanderer

Yeh, it's pretty well a generic term now that Canadians use--not sure how it is now used outside the country. Not surprised it used to be used in New England to refer to the Quebeckers, since there so many transplants from there. I can't remember what we called French Canadians here in Ontario when I was a kid--but I'm sure it was mildly derogatory. They were definitely second-class citizens in those days, here (my father was one, and he hid it.)

Funny how a term that was originally used for French-Canadian migrants in New England has migrated across the country and become (for a lot of people) the Canadian equivalent to "Aussie".

Also interesting is that in the original home of those migrants (Quebec), nobody really uses the term as an identifier. "Canuck" in Quebec refers only to Vancouver's pro hockey team.

[hiknapster]

It wasn't meant as derogatory in my neck of the woods. I grew up in a town where the majority of residents were of French-Canadian heritage and it was what everyone called themselves. Beautiful town, built with a French flair.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

It wasn't meant as derogatory in my neck of the woods. I grew up in a town where the majority of residents were of French-Canadian heritage and it was what everyone called themselves. Beautiful town, built with a French flair.

Interesting. I have been to New England but have never lived there, but here in Quebec most people who know about the origins of the name think it was used in a derogatory way...