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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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the original etymology of "yank" is probably not only unfavorable but also obscene
I don't think so. M-W says etymology unknown. I've heard that it was from Dutch (Nieuw Amsterdam and all that) Jan Kees (John Cheese). It was certainly used with insulting intent early on but was quickly co-opted proudly by the intended targets.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 13,858 |
Dear Faldage: Many years ago in New England Historical Genealogical Register, I read an
article that seems plausible to me. It stated that the Indians in the Massachusetts area
could not pronounce "English". Their approximation was "Yengees" (sp?) The colonists
jokingly applied it to each other, and the usage was spread by seafaring traders from the
Bay State.
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Joined: Dec 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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One thing, we can probably be sure it doesn't have anything to do with the capacity of a cement mixer or the length of an ammuntion belt in a WWII airplane.
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
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It's been a while, so y'all please indulge me.
Vika is not a Scot; she is Byelorussian.
And Faldage coined USn, far as I know.
Thank you. I have left the building.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,819 |
In reply to:
It's been a while, so y'all please indulge me.
Vika is not a Scot; she is Byelorussian.
And Faldage coined USn, far as I know.
Thank you. I have left the building.
from Vika's profile :
location: Aberdeen, Scotland
Bio born in USSR, half-Belorussian + half-Jewish, graduated from the Belorussian State University, PhD in Molecular Biology (The University of Edinburgh,UK)
So, Vika merely lives in Scotland. I don't suppose I would have identified her as Belorussian any more than I would have identified her as Israeli, so youse guys please indulge me.
How is USn pronounced?
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Joined: Mar 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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'Course, to most non-New York area baseball fans Yankees is obscene! 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
How is USn pronounced?
The way it's writ, I 'spect:
You-ESS-en
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I suppose that's right, though to this yankee merkin, I always read it: uhs'n
formerly known as etaoin...
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Joined: Mar 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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actually®, etaoin is right. It's Faldage's taking the particular (southern word) and extending it to the entire country. If I may speak on his behalf.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Dear etaoin: a problem with your pronunication. How Brits call us "UHSns?
Maybe they could call us "YOUSEns".
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