h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

While I find the average Septics jingoism offensive, I tend not to whinge about it.

Septic tank = Yank (cockney slang).

The Americas (where Americans live) cover a lot more of the planet than the bit occupied by the 5% of world's humans living/existing in the US.

I think I stated this before somewhere else...two bit probably remembers it, but calling us all Yanks just shows how little you know about Americans. I was born south of the Mason Dixon line. What does that make me Loony?

We are all Americans here, but I would say that I was a southerner to other Americans.

While I'm sure that doesn't mean anything to you, it does exemplify my point....You don't know as much as you presume to know about Americans, kiwi.

Incidentally don't bother replying until Monday, I'll be out enjoying my life instead of looking over my should for a horrible baby killing government that has so oppressed the world.

Perium, welcome to the life of minorities.

Incidently, the meaning of the word Yankee, in common with many words in the English language, has expanded from it's ancient roots. Check any dictionary.

1 a : a native or inhabitant of New England b : a native or inhabitant of the northern U.S.

2: a native or inhabitant of the U.S.

You've done little but whinge.

If the English language was engineered, then American would refer to anyone who lives in North or South America. The language evolved, and the term American refers to citizens and residents of the United States of America.

You're clearly using it in a derogatory sense. I don't think you add anything by using epithets.

Call a real southerner a yankee, and you'll have a fight on your hands. In fact, it's legal for them to hit you, because it would be a use of fighting words.

Since I was raised in Oregon and moved to the South, I'm only moderatly offended by the term.

I wonder why the powers-that-be in the United States have never come up with a proper name for the country. Canada and Mexico, among numerous others in the Americas, coped admirably in earlier times... times when it must have been extraordinarily difficult to build a consensus.

Perhaps, when the current nastiness is resolved, Dan Rather and Larry King can host a couple of namathons on CBS and CNN.

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Now now kids.

Isn´t the tone getting a bit nasty here?

The Yank-thing discussion, is what we would call Fly -F*****g in denmark, if that makes any sense to anyone here.And me for one don´t mind being called something else than a Dane, you may call me a Great Dane or even "a Danish"

...and how about that joke?
I can`t wait to hear it(I also promise not to take offense)

While not really a joke, this Yank is certainly looking on the bright side...

"I was chairman for two days, and then I had jets with my engines hit a building I insured, which was covered by a TV network I owned, and we are still growing 2001 earnings by 11%" - General Electrics new chairman Jeffrey Immelt talking to an analyst meeting in New York on Friday.

That guy MUST be eating children for breakfast

I think there are no jokes allowed here.
Mine got harrassed of the screen so fast I didnt get to read it! LOL!

Asfor Jeffery Imelt, he should resign!

Ok I've had a couple of calls for the joke. So here it is, slightly rewritten to take out some of the "comic" punch...

"Today Irish police surrounded Littlewoods department store because someone tipped them off that Bed Linen was inside."

See, I told you it was rubbish.

To reply to Loonytunes. This is really off topic...I thought "Americas" is one of those "euphemistic let's not offend anyone especially ourselves" terms from the 90's that was invented for the reason that "America" refers to the continent of America - ie North and South. If you want to, or conventionally call your country "America" and all of a sudden you have an existentialist nightmare or a "geographical epiphany" realising that you are refering to a whole bunch of countries from the Arctic to Cape Horn you could rename the continent to the "Americas" (ie plural) to avoid that problem. Then everybody is happy - including those in the United States of Mexico (or Mexican United States depending how you translate it) and the others such as Canada who are also totally confused about naming conventions - themselves belonging to the the American continent and wondering why they are not also referred to as Americans like French and Bulgarians are Europeans and Chinese and Koreans are Asians.

It works, everyone is happy. USA = America. America = North + South America = Americas.

Then again. Where exactly is Latin America in America?

Amerigo V. revolves in his grave once more.

Where exactly are Australia and New Zealand in Asia?

Isn't Australia a continent?

Dudemeister, I can confirm that Australia is indeed a continent.

I can also confirm that New Zealanders are not Australians

And to what continent does NZ belong?