>It's interesting to note that you do consider other countries as American. Generally, I have found United Statsians (I love that name) have adopted 'American' as their own and that they do not readily share it with others.
Some years ago I was cycling in Ireland, and ran into a couple on bikes, both of them wearing helmets, as was I. I immediately called out and asked if they were American (no one else seemed to wear helmets, particularly not the German cyclists, about whom more some other time.) They replied that indeed they were Americans, but they were Canadians, not US citizens. I got the feeling they had chastised a few others for their effrontery. During the rest of the trip I was always careful to identify myself as "a US citizen."
I wonder, though, how foreigners and US of A citizens feel about the term Yank. I've been called this in several countries and have personally never been offended by it. Of course I don't live in or come from any areas in the Southern United States where the term Yankee is to say the least pejorative.
