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yankee
In Portland, Oregon, I was used to hearing my B.C. friends refer to
all Americans south of the Canadian border as Yanks. Living in
Arkansas, the word Yankee carries with it a derogatory tone. It
refers only to those Americans living south of the Canadian border and
north of the Mason-Dixon line. [Bob Morgan, FIDO Words conference,
Jan 96]
I once heard that: Outside the USA, Yankee meant USA national;
In the S. USA, it meant northerner; In the N. USA, it meant New Englander;
In New England it meant Vermont native; And Vermont restricted it to people
who ate pie for breakfast. [Frank Palmer, FIDO Words conference,
Jan 96]
Well, to me, Yank is an affectionate term, with a bit of a jocular
reminder of that rather embarassing 1776 thingie. Yank conjures up
pictures of doughboys and happy USAAF airmen in British pubs. I also
use Brit and Aussie with similar connotations.
Yankee is stronger and I have heard it used in connection with
various of our Prime Ministers, usually with the word "lapdog" tacked on.
[David Jacklin, FIDO Words conference, Jan 96]
"yeh, right"
expression of disbelief or negation, usually used in reply;
"This car is in like-new condition."
"Yeh, right.";
compare with not,
psyche
In 9/10/95 NY Times Magazine Section, p. 26: A colleague recently
told Roger Gould, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, about a
lecture, place uncertain, referring to double negatives. Every
language, the lecturer observed, has a construction in which two
negatives make a positive. But in English, he said, there's no
construction in which two positives make a negative. From the hall
came the perfect, anonymous response: 'Yeah, right.'
[Fido FUNNY echo]
you're on it like
see on it like
yuppie food coupons
twenty-dollar bills from an ATM [July 97, from an e-mail]
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