Only Americans are American.

[Mem]

If someone asked me where Canada was I'd say North America, hence I view it as perfectly legitimate if a Canadian wanted to call him/herself an American.

That's like saying everyone in the Southern part of the continent of Africa is South African.

 

[Mem]

The only people that I have ever heard call themselves American are from the U.S.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

This happens time and again with the Czech Republic. There's just no good way to refer to them. Sure they can be Czech, that's OK, but you can't generate a natural sounding plural. You can't call them Czechians and certainly not Czech Republicans so you have to go around it by saying, "people of the Czech Republic."

Well, Jason, I have always thought 'Czech,' by itself, could mean an inhabitant of the Czech Republic (or the language of the Czech Republic).
So the plural would be 'Czechs.'
That's natural sounding to me.

 

[2322]

Oh alright, possessive plural then. You know what I mean. My head still hurts.

Well, Jason, I have always thought 'Czech,' by itself, could mean an inhabitant of the Czech Republic (or the language of the Czech Republic).
So the plural would be 'Czechs.'
That's natural sounding to me.

 

[2322]

When I have travelled in Europe, I have been asked if I'm from "America". I always correct them and say I am Canadian. To which they will often say, "Yes, but that's in America."

Non-citizens of North America refer to the entire continent much like they refer to Europe rather than an individual country.

When anyone mistakenly refers to me as American I will always correct them. I am not American. I am Canadian. And like it or not in Europe especially, Canadians are treated much better than Americans. Almost daily I was asked for my Canadian flag by Americans.

HA! You've discovered the Canadian passport! I've found Canadians go out of their way to slap maple leaves on everything to loudly ID the fact they're NOT Americans so they get treated better. I confess that I do bring a Canadian lapel pin with me to Europe and wear it when shopping or going to restaurants. It's remarkable how much nicer people are. Of course that means I have to brush-up on Canadian events and people before I leave but it's worth the effort.

 

[Not_Punny]

I love ya, mem, but I have to say... does it really matter?

Winston Churchill was an honorary American, so I guess even Brits can be American...

 

[Mem]

This happens time and again with the Czech Republic. There's just no good way to refer to them. Sure they can be Czech, that's OK, but you can't generate a natural sounding plural. You can't call them Czechians and certainly not Czech Republicans so you have to go around it by saying, "people of the Czech Republic."
"

Reminds me of a bad joke. What do you call an Aborted Czech? A cancelled Czech (check).

 

[2322]

Churchill's mother was American so he was half-American. I like to think of him as an international joint effort combining the best qualities of both heritages. Of course, if he really did setup Lusitania then all bets are off.

I love ya, mem, but I have to say... does it really matter?

Winston Churchill was an honorary American, so I guess even Brits can be American...

 

[SteveHd]

... We'll offend someone who sees our name as imperialist no matter what we choose. ...

I have an idea: let's call ourselves Imperialists. Heck, much of the rest of the world already does! :smile:

 

[koval]

Wikipedia states;

American may mean:

• A person or attribute of the Americas, the lands and regions of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere
• A person or attribute of the United States of America
• A person or attribute of the indigenous peoples of the Americas

But if we want to go to extremes, I have relatives born and living in the US of A, but I consider native American indians to be the true American's.

(and I know I will go to hell for saying that :biggrin1

 

[Mem]

People may think that everyone is American...

Not yet....bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha

 

[Industrialsize]

Canadians are not. They are North American. People in South America are not Americans.

We are The United States of America.

We can not call ourselves anything but Americans. We are not United Statesmen, nor United Statians.

I have NO idea what point you are trying to make or what trouble you are trying to stir.........Who CARES WHO USES THE TERM, AMERICAN????

 

[B_becominghorse]

Mem knows how to generate fast-moving threads. That's the secret. And knows how to give oblique answers. This is cool, keeps you above all the shit.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Mem knows how to give oblique answers. This is cool, keeps you above all the shit.

Cherish this moment, mem.

 

[Mem]

I love ya, mem, but I have to say... does it really matter?

All that matter is.... that ya love me.

 

[B_Nick4444]

I have NO idea what point you are trying to make or what trouble you are trying to stir.........Who CARES WHO USES THE TERM, AMERICAN????

why, mem? why?

 

[Mem]

why, mem? why?

If you must know, I don't understand how people can call Mexicans and Ecuadorians and Canadians and Brazilians.... Americans.

And if we call everyone else American what do we call Americans?

 

[Rugbypup]

Actually, you're all Welsh, America being the 1st Welsh colony an all. lol.

Thats right, isnt it, boyo.

 

[kalipygian]

Terra Ulterior Incognita, other unknown land, is what Waldseemuller, who applied the name to the recent explorations of the coast of South America credited to Vespucci, called North America on his 1507 map. He showed the continents disconnected.

Hello fellow Ulterior Incognitans!:biggrin1:

 

[dong20]

Any thread where I'm backed up by both dong20 and rubi I feel pretty comfortable that I've made a good point.

Common sense and simple truth are easy to back up.:smile: