Texas definition of "yankee" (San Antonio, Austin: calculation, FIOS, barber)

[Westerntraveler]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

I agree that oy-al is the most frequent edumacated Texas pronunciation but it does add a syllable that isn't indicated by the spelling -- which in a way is the whole point of this tangent.

thanks jef, hope u enjoyed your time in England....true,good point....glad u made it back safely.

[doctorjef]

Thanks Westerntraveller, and here's the biggest weirdness of all. Since English has no way of differentiating second person singular and plural (as we don't normally use thee and thy), " you all" is commonly heard in England and "y'all" is gaining a little following though it is still very marginal. "Reckon" of course is completely normal anywhere in the UK and does not have the colloquial, hickish connotations it does in the US.

[Westerntraveler]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

Thanks Westerntraveller, and here's the biggest weirdness of all. Since English has no way of differentiating second person singular and plural (as we don't normally use thee and thy), " you all" is commonly heard in England and "y'all" is gaining a little following though it is still very marginal. "Reckon" of course is completely normal anywhere in the UK and does not have the colloquial, hickish connotations it does in the US.

anytime my friend....wow thats interesting.

[hussar1683]

The term yankee used by Southerners or yank used by Brits is a joke.

Most Northerners aren't even real yankees.

Most of us are of immigrants who came after the civil war from places like Ireland, Italy, Germany, Poland,etc

Yeah my family came from Tarnobrzeg Poland in the mid 1900's to New York. I am sure a yankee alright.

All of the Puerto Ricans who live in New York also must be yankees too right? LOL

[doctorjef]

Yankees are the native New Englanders whose roots go back to the 18th Cetury in America. My roots go back to the 17th Century in America but mostly in Virginia (dad's side) though Mass. on mother's side -- but it seems they soon started working their way south.

[Lee W.]

I pretty much stopped using that word, not even sure what it means. Texas these days is full of people from elsewhere. Why put out all kinds of labels? I'm a Texan, native born, but my daughter wasn't born here, my husband wasn't, my grandson wasn't. Doesn't matter that much where they were born. They are Texans and have been for a long time.

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

STANDING OVATION and rep point plus one for this one! This pretty much described it perfectly, Westerntraveler. I am just irritated I didn't think of it myself! LOL Great job!

LOL!! Me, too, TR.....

My "loyal" has 3 syllables, and my "oil" almost does, but they rhyme!

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Lee W.

I pretty much stopped using that word, not even sure what it means. Texas these days is full of people from elsewhere. Why put out all kinds of labels? I'm a Texan, native born, but my daughter wasn't born here, my husband wasn't, my grandson wasn't. Doesn't matter that much where they were born. They are Texans and have been for a long time.

With all due respect, lighten up a bit! This is one of those sanctimoneous things (not saying you intend it that way) that make a great sound-byte, but are superficial in substance.

Actually, sometimes labels work very well when classifying people into catagories that simplify a point being made in generalization. Hell, most of us actually classify ourselves in some kind of catagory. There are conservatives and liberals, there are Southerners and Northerners, there are chess players and football players. That is true diversity. What is often amusing is that those who most object to "labels" are the first to trumpet "diversity." Thing is, their idea of "diversity" doesn't really match that which exists naturally...

But anyway, my own kids are "half-yankee". (Their mother, my ex-wife, was from Up North). Some of my very good friends are northern born. "Yankee" is just part of the traditional "Southern vernacular". It doesn't necessarily -- and usually doesn't -- mean anything derogatory at all. Often, in fact, it is used in a kidding sorta way. Or, at most, just neutral; asin referring to someone as "red" because they have reddish hair, is intended to be insulting.

Loosely speaking, to someone from England, anybody from the United States is a "yank". To a Texan/Southerner, someone from outside the Old Confederate and Border States (and certain western states) is a "yankee." To a Midwesterner, someone from the Northeast is a yankee...and to the later, someone from New England is a "yankee." And gosh, I have heard even New Englanders confine their definition of "yankee" to Vermont! LOL

Honestly, the only time I use "yankee" in a negative way, is to refer to a certain type northerner/west coaster, who moves to Texas/South and makes a loudmouthed production about how much better things were where they came from. Forgive the bluntness, but this really irriates me. They come down here to find a job and when they find it? Hell, they whine and blitch and pi$$ and moan because it is not like the land they screwed up completely...then fled for southern climes.

Sorry, but I don't apologize to that type, nor it being part of my vocabularly. Put another way? It is all up to them. I don't need to apologize for my own state/region when I am still in it. If they don't want to be considered "damn yankees"?...then they shouldn't act the part...

For those northerners who really want to assimilate and be "one of us"? Then WELCOME TO TEXAS!

[Two4damoney]

Originally Posted by TexasReb

With all due respect, lighten up a bit! This is one of those sanctimoneous things (not saying you intend it that way) that make a great sound-byte, but are superficial in substance.

Actually, sometimes labels work very well when classifying people into catagories that simplify a point being made in generalization. Hell, most of us actually classify ourselves in some kind of catagory. There are conservatives and liberals, there are Southerners and Northerners, there are chess players and football players. That is true diversity. What is often amusing is that those who most object to "labels" are the first to trumpet "diversity." Thing is, their idea of "diversity" doesn't really match that which exists naturally...

But anyway, my own kids are "half-yankee". (Their mother, my ex-wife, was from Up North). Some of my very good friends are northern born. "Yankee" is just part of the traditional "Southern vernacular". It doesn't necessarily -- and usually doesn't -- mean anything derogatory at all. Often, in fact, it is used in a kidding sorta way. Or, at most, just neutral; asin referring to someone as "red" because they have reddish hair, is intended to be insulting.

Loosely speaking, to someone from England, anybody from the United States is a "yank". To a Texan/Southerner, someone from outside the Old Confederate and Border States (and certain western states) is a "yankee." To a Midwesterner, someone from the Northeast is a yankee...and to the later, someone from New England is a "yankee." And gosh, I have heard even New Englanders confine their definition of "yankee" to Vermont! LOL

Honestly, the only time I use "yankee" in a negative way, is to refer to a certain type northerner/west coaster, who moves to Texas/South and makes a loudmouthed production about how much better things were where they came from. Forgive the bluntness, but this really irriates me. They come down here to find a job and when they find it? Hell, they whine and blitch and pi$$ and moan because it is not like the land they screwed up completely...then fled for southern climes.

Sorry, but I don't apologize to that type, nor it being part of my vocabularly. Put another way? It is all up to them. I don't need to apologize for my own state/region when I am still in it. If they don't want to be considered "damn yankees"?...then they shouldn't act the part...

For those northerners who really want to assimilate and be "one of us"? Then WELCOME TO TEXAS!

Yeah we got a guy in our apartment building from New York thats kind of like that. And I notice nobody here really talks to him. Wonder why? He also still has a Go NY Giants sign in his window from last football season. lol

[TexasReb]

Originally Posted by Two4damoney

Yeah we got a guy in our apartment building from New York thats kind of like that. And I notice nobody here really talks to him. Wonder why? He also still has a Go NY Giants sign in his window from last football season. lol

LOL Yeah, 2fourD, my friend? I definitely recognize the breed you describe. No biggie in the least about the sports fans favorite team. Hell, I respect and admire loyalty of that sort. BUT...the impression I get from what you say is that this person does it -- even if subtly -- to "rub it" it others faces...sorta, kinda...

And I'd bet the cotton crop this person you speak of probably would be the first to call say that "Southern hospitality" is "false and/or hypocritical" They never see -- perhaps understandable cultural differences -- that they are the root reason for their own problems of isolation, etc. But to be fair, it can be forgiven on lots of levels because many of this type wouldn't recognize their own "arse" if the same bit them on it! They honestly believe they are "superior" (whatever one means by this) to Texans/Southerners.