Masquerouge
Deity
My personal experience is that nobody is confused by the use of the word "Americans", but some people resent the fact that the US is appropriating the use of the name of the entire continent. These people are idiots.
"USians"
- Thread starter Kraznaya
- Start date
My personal experience is that nobody is confused by the use of the word "Americans", but some people resent the fact that the US is appropriating the use of the name of the entire continent. These people are idiots.
Simple Simon
Simpleton
Hm, the majority of people I know who are annoyed by this are Canadians, who quite rightly think that many USians think Canada irrelevant, or on its way to become the 51st state. All idiots?
Masquerouge
Deity
I don't see the link here. If Canada was called the Canadian states of America, and if people of that country were also referred to as Americans, then yeah, they could be annoyed.
But people from Canada are called Canadians, and people from the United States of America are called Americans, and if people think that they're called Americans just because they don't care about Canada, then yeah, it's stupid.
My point is that people from the USA are called Americans not because they don't care about the rest of the continent (some of them might, some of them might not), but because it actually makes sense since America is in their country's name.
Evie
Pronounced like Eevee
And OUR point is that the United States hijacked our continent name for their own private name, so since we didn't like calling them that, we came up with a different word for them.
And we were even polite! We didn't make our different word an obscenity of any sort!
If they're not happy, they should have picked a name that didn't already belong to something else for their country. Unless they had enough hubris to think that either A)All the Americas would join them, or B)that people would just call the Americans whatever the americans wanted to be called, even if it was a name hijack.
Bottom line is, you may call yoursel Americans all you want. We'll call you whatever WE want (and no, Lord and Masters isn't it, ;-)). And since (as you spend every other week reminding the world), Free Speech is Important...
...who are you to tell us what w ecan and cannot say? So long as people understand (and much as you hate it, you - and the entire world - know perfectly well what "United States" and "Unitedstatesian" means.)
And we were even polite! We didn't make our different word an obscenity of any sort!
If they're not happy, they should have picked a name that didn't already belong to something else for their country. Unless they had enough hubris to think that either A)All the Americas would join them, or B)that people would just call the Americans whatever the americans wanted to be called, even if it was a name hijack.
Bottom line is, you may call yoursel Americans all you want. We'll call you whatever WE want (and no, Lord and Masters isn't it, ;-)). And since (as you spend every other week reminding the world), Free Speech is Important...
...who are you to tell us what w ecan and cannot say? So long as people understand (and much as you hate it, you - and the entire world - know perfectly well what "United States" and "Unitedstatesian" means.)
Masquerouge
Deity
I think "United States of America" is a pretty good name for a federation of states on the American continent.
Alpine Trooper
AllCiv
As a Canadian, we really only use a couple names to describe people from the United States amongst ourselves:
stupid . .. .. .. .ing american learn how to drive
. .. .. .. .ing american, you can turn right on the red
cletus
We're not being mean either we just swear a lot.
stupid . .. .. .. .ing american learn how to drive
. .. .. .. .ing american, you can turn right on the red
cletus
We're not being mean either we just swear a lot.
Evie
Pronounced like Eevee
Oh, it's a good country name, but the country adjective resulting from it lead to all sort of silly situation...
It'S interesting to note that, where Americans (and in more general term the english world) will often abbreviate the country to "America", it is almost only ever shortened to "The United States" (or equivalent) in the Latin-ish parts of America (Spain + Portugal + French parts). America is never, ever used in Quebec except to mean the continent(s)
It'S interesting to note that, where Americans (and in more general term the english world) will often abbreviate the country to "America", it is almost only ever shortened to "The United States" (or equivalent) in the Latin-ish parts of America (Spain + Portugal + French parts). America is never, ever used in Quebec except to mean the continent(s)
Masquerouge
Deity
In France "l'Amerique" is regularly used, along with "Les Etats-Unis". And its people are called "les Americains"... mostly because it would be way too awkward to try to construct something with Etats-Unis.
You say that like we just picked this up 20 years ago to spite you or something. This usage is probably older than the United States itself, and it's certainly far older than you or I or any other Canadian or American alive, so I don't know why on earth you need to take it as some sort of personal offense.
Evie
Pronounced like Eevee
Nobody takes it as a personal offense. We do, however, take it as highly annoying. After all, we consider ourselves Americans (since we live on the continent(s), and when their policies and decisions we loathe are labeled as "American policy", it *is* a bit annoying. So we invent new words for our own use, and then Americans whine about it because they feel everyone should obey them and use their "God"-Given names. And then we get this sort of thread.
And Masque? I thought Étatsuniens was pretty popular your side of the Atlantic too. May have been misinformed on that score.
L'Amérique is pretty strictly reserved in French Quebec for the continent - we'll use "Américains" for the people, but L'Amérique will only be used for the country as part of expressions or double-meaning jokes.
États-Uniens is pretty much reserved these days for spheres were Americans do things we disapprove heartily off - particularly politics. We'll talk about American people, but Unitedstatesians policies. Particularly those policies we disagree with, obviously - the sort of policy we don't want to see OUR name associated too.
For example, Bill Clinton was pretty exclusively "The American president". Georges W is much more frequently (nowhere near all the time, but often enough) "the Unitedstatesian President".
And Masque? I thought Étatsuniens was pretty popular your side of the Atlantic too. May have been misinformed on that score.
L'Amérique is pretty strictly reserved in French Quebec for the continent - we'll use "Américains" for the people, but L'Amérique will only be used for the country as part of expressions or double-meaning jokes.
États-Uniens is pretty much reserved these days for spheres were Americans do things we disapprove heartily off - particularly politics. We'll talk about American people, but Unitedstatesians policies. Particularly those policies we disagree with, obviously - the sort of policy we don't want to see OUR name associated too.
For example, Bill Clinton was pretty exclusively "The American president". Georges W is much more frequently (nowhere near all the time, but often enough) "the Unitedstatesian President".
Simple Simon
Simpleton
Nobody complained about that - just sue the full name. 'America' is two continents, 'United States (of America)' the country.
Jeez, can you guy ever be exact with something? No wonder your legal system is so screwed up
(and will you FINALLY get the hirony with the silent 'h'?)
DBear
unbeliever
What's the big deal? I don't hear anyone . .. .. .. .. .ing about the Central African Republic. Or the United Arab Emirates. Greece complaining about Macedonia just seems stupid. And what do we call residents of Niger?
Evie
Pronounced like Eevee
The Central African republic is never called "Africa" and its people are "Central Africans". (And many languages, such as French, actually use "Centrafricans" instead.
The UAE is never called "Arabia", and its people are called Emirati, not Arabs (well, they are Arabs, but because they also happen in the larger area known as Arabia)
Besides which, no one is telling you what to call yourselves, or is trying to force anyone to call you anything (unlike Greece vs Macedonia, where Greece does a great job of telling other people what to call Macedonia). Americans are the ones whining about people in the ROW refusing to use the term "American".
The UAE is never called "Arabia", and its people are called Emirati, not Arabs (well, they are Arabs, but because they also happen in the larger area known as Arabia)
Besides which, no one is telling you what to call yourselves, or is trying to force anyone to call you anything (unlike Greece vs Macedonia, where Greece does a great job of telling other people what to call Macedonia). Americans are the ones whining about people in the ROW refusing to use the term "American".
Ansar
Détente avec l'été
Nigerians...what's your point?
Anyways, in Spanish we use "Estadounidense", which would basically translate to United Statian.
dannyshenanigan
Emperor
I am offended by the French naming France after the Franks, it discriminates against the people who lived there before the Franks. The sheer hubris!
It appears I was in error with my post; 'Vespucci' is the explorer's surname, not his first name. Apologies for the mistake -- I can only blame the insanely hot weather that we were experiencing.
Masquerouge
Deity
It is used, but it's not mainstream. Newspapers don't use it, and I would say it's not a neutral term.
Ecofarm
Deity
I use the term USians when I want to make it clear that I am not referring to the Americas (South, Central and/or North). I guess you have not had many conversations of international context.
If you think it had something to do with ego, you are mistaken. I will make my nationalism much more clear than that, when I so desire.
It's not a stupid term. It's a term that educated people in conversation of international matters occasionally use for the purpose of context.
If I have been talking about s. c. and n. america, and now I want to refer exclusively to USians, what term do you suggest to avoid confusion with previous context?
/thread
If you think it had something to do with ego, you are mistaken. I will make my nationalism much more clear than that, when I so desire.
It's not a stupid term. It's a term that educated people in conversation of international matters occasionally use for the purpose of context.
If I have been talking about s. c. and n. america, and now I want to refer exclusively to USians, what term do you suggest to avoid confusion with previous context?
/thread
Shekwan
Kim Chi Quaffing Celt
USians is a stupid term, except in the example pointed out by Ecofarm. However I hate it when people refer to the US as "America". I've noticed mostly Americans do this. When one says "Americans" it's acceptable to me, I mean what else are you going to say? This thing of calling the US "America" instead of the US or USA really annoys me though. Probably not a great reason to be annoyed but whatever.
A reason could be the way Americans are always using the term Europe like it's some single country. You never hear people saying, "I was on holidays in Asia" when they go to Thailand etc....
A reason could be the way Americans are always using the term Europe like it's some single country. You never hear people saying, "I was on holidays in Asia" when they go to Thailand etc....
