4 ms·

Sure, as opposed to Central Americans, South Americans, Mexicans, or Canadians. There is no estadounidenses in English but "Americans" logically includes Alask

Sure, as opposed to Central Americans, South Americans, Mexicans, or Canadians. There is no estadounidenses in English but "Americans" logically includes Alaskans through Argentinians.

davidw 16y ago
Reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww I suppose it's technically correct, but it doesn't sound good at all. Especially since they already just used 'Americans' in the title. "People of the United States" or something like that also reads better. Sure, citizens of other countries in the Americas could also be called Americans, but in reality, if you're trying to actually communicate clearly with other people, rather than score political correctness points, you would not use that term for, say, a Canadian or a Brazilian, because there are already perfectly good, more specific terms for citizens of said countries. Likewise, if you were really trying to talk about the commonalities of everyone from Alaskans to Argentinians you'd presumably use something like "peoples of the Americas".
- crasshopper 16y ago
  "Americans" is more idiomatic. But - I bet NYU has_many Chilean, Canadian, Costa Rican grad students who would be annoyed at the implicit exclusion.
  - davidw 16y ago
    But the thing is titled "Getting to Know Americans", so why bother with an ugly sounding turn of words when you've already crossed that bridge? I didn't think that "US Americans" was even correct when I posted - it doesn't sound at all right to my ears. > Chilean, Canadian, Costa Rican grad students who would be annoyed at the implicit exclusion. Only the ones with a chip on their shoulder.
    - crasshopper 16y ago
      I was about to lament that English lacks a short, euphonic, idiomatic word for "US-icans" / US citizens & residents / culturally US people / estadounidenses. But then I remembered we do have such a word. Yanks.
      - davidw 16y ago
        "Yank" doesn't really work either, sorry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee#In_other_English-speaking_countries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee#In_other_English-speakin... You'll just have to live with the fact that English doesn't have a convenient word. Even here in Italy, "americano" is much more common than statunitense.
      - mturmon 16y ago
        The proportion of "US Americans" who would self-describe as a "Yank" must be vanishingly small. I think the first rule about names is that the named person should recognize the results.
        crasshopper 16y ago
        You would think so, but Christ never thought of himself as Christ; Hindu is a name made up by outsiders; and Germany sounds nothing like Deutschland. Anyway I was just seeking compromise.
      - rdouble 16y ago
        Nobody says yanks besides australians. And they don't really do it that much.
        crasshopper 16y ago
        Aussies + Brits say it.

Sure, as opposed to Central Americans, South Americans, Mexicans, or Canadians. There is no estadounidenses in English but "Americans" logically includes Alaskans through Argentinians.

davidw 16y ago

Reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww I suppose it's technically correct, but it doesn't sound good at all. Especially since they already just used 'Americans' in the title. "People of the United States" or something like that also reads better. Sure, citizens of other countries in the Americas could also be called Americans, but in reality, if you're trying to actually communicate clearly with other people, rather than score political correctness points, you would not use that term for, say, a Canadian or a Brazilian, because there are already perfectly good, more specific terms for citizens of said countries. Likewise, if you were really trying to talk about the commonalities of everyone from Alaskans to Argentinians you'd presumably use something like "peoples of the Americas".

crasshopper 16y ago
"Americans" is more idiomatic. But - I bet NYU has_many Chilean, Canadian, Costa Rican grad students who would be annoyed at the implicit exclusion.
- davidw 16y ago
  But the thing is titled "Getting to Know Americans", so why bother with an ugly sounding turn of words when you've already crossed that bridge? I didn't think that "US Americans" was even correct when I posted - it doesn't sound at all right to my ears. > Chilean, Canadian, Costa Rican grad students who would be annoyed at the implicit exclusion. Only the ones with a chip on their shoulder.
  - crasshopper 16y ago
    I was about to lament that English lacks a short, euphonic, idiomatic word for "US-icans" / US citizens & residents / culturally US people / estadounidenses. But then I remembered we do have such a word. Yanks.
    - davidw 16y ago
      "Yank" doesn't really work either, sorry. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee#In_other_English-speaking_countries http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee#In_other_English-speakin... You'll just have to live with the fact that English doesn't have a convenient word. Even here in Italy, "americano" is much more common than statunitense.
    - mturmon 16y ago
      The proportion of "US Americans" who would self-describe as a "Yank" must be vanishingly small. I think the first rule about names is that the named person should recognize the results.
      - crasshopper 16y ago
        You would think so, but Christ never thought of himself as Christ; Hindu is a name made up by outsiders; and Germany sounds nothing like Deutschland. Anyway I was just seeking compromise.
    - rdouble 16y ago
      Nobody says yanks besides australians. And they don't really do it that much.
      - crasshopper 16y ago
        Aussies + Brits say it.