Australia, we don’t know you, but we love you, say our American friends

It seems hard to remember, though.

I'm going to try to remember that "Aussie" is pronounced "Ozzie" (I thought it was "ossie" too), not sure if I will. Appreciated the tip though.

Profoundly do not get the upset over USian. (I pronounce it "You -ess-ian" also.)

Wow, new life to an essentially meaningless thread!

Wait a minute . . . isn't Bob your uncle?

My grandfather, actually. The funny thing is, when I picked Robert for my name (I was around 9) I knew him as "Grandpa Bob" but didn't know that Bob was short for Robert.

I've done the same I'm sure but I'd rather that than wrongly assume that someone innocent meant offense.

I did have Mexicans in Mexico laugh at our use of American, they calling us norteamericanos. Admittedly that was some years ago. My never calling us americans is probably too pc but I remain sort of aware of the fact that we aren't the only ones. Thus my 'people from the u.s., people from the states', kind of efforts. As said in too many words, it's not that I mind a new word or words, it's just that usians sounds uneuphonic to me, and ozzian sounds contrived to me too.

OK, but you did get the joke, right?

I've gone by my middle name all my life, to the point that i go months and months forgetting entirely that i have a first name, a name other than the one by which i am generally known. It's helpful, too. If i get a letter or a phone call addressed to me by my first name, i know right away it's someone who doesn't know me.

I would probably just stop assuming it, I guess. When you said "If they continue to use it knowing that it offends, then I will assume that is their intent. No different than people calling Robert Bob." the first thing I thought was that I wouldn't assume as much, even though I suspect it most of the time. And that is about my own name, when it's a reference to a nationality it's much more generalized and much more in the "public domain" so to speak.

For example, I can envision someone saying that while you've made your opinion clear that it is rare enough to not warrant a linguistic change. In that case perhaps they wouldn't be intentionally offensive but simply not willing to agree with you about the word's meanings and baggage.

If some insisted that you start spelling "women" as "womyn" because "women" offends them would you do so? I wouldn't and I would also reject any explanation they have for my motivations (like intentional offense) for doing so other than "I thought it looked really goofy."

If you mean that it was a reference to "bob's your uncle" yes, but I never got that phrase and have never bothered to look it up till 30 seconds from now.

I had never heard Bob's your uncle until i started coming to Canada on a regular basis.

That is a commonwealth thing (as opposed to just a British thing) is all I gleaned from having looked it up just now. And all the proposed explanations for it haven't clarified it (that is, they themselves don't make all that much sense to me). Scholars must have lost the translation years ago.

Bob's your uncle, Fanny's your aunt means a sure thing, usually said following what is at least allegedly a simple explanation.

But what if someone challenges me?

Just walk in there like you own the place, pick up the bag--and Bob's your uncle.

Apparently, in the olden times, Fanny's your aunt would be appended.

No it wouldn't.

The first I'd heard of this. Vancouver's hockey team are the Canucks, the name had been used by one team or another from around the war at least. Also, the first contenders or really good Canadian olympic ski team were called the crazy canucks. The nickname is still used by the downhill team. I've never met anyone who takes offense to the name.

I think Bob's your uncle has it's root in Scotland. There's a lot of scottish blood running through the veins of this country.

I've a surmise that countries, territories, people, like to have a bit of control about what they call themselves and that, from that name, others call them.
Which makes sense. Others will disparage, but that's also usual.

I'm irish american but was not raised in any kind of irish american enclave, just about the opposite. It wasn't until somewhere in my late teens that I had any idea, from reading, that calling someone a mick could be taken badly. (I think Uncle Felix, the sea captain, used the word). I still don't really get that. In that case, I take it as not so much the word but the reference to a lot of people considered poorly.

So, if some from elsewhere give your country a new appellative, it is natural to not just cotton on to it.

So, like France, if I try to call it Frepublique (I just made that up), would you expect french people to just like it?

I have. But I think they were from PEI and probably spoiling for a fight anyway. I remember one telling me: "We are Canadians, not Canucks, you Yankee knucklehead." So I called him a "herring-snapper" and that, your honor is why . . .

<laughing loud>

We sailed away at the break of day to pull traps in oilskin trousers
On the Suzy Jack but we're back tonight wit a thousand pounds of lobsters
Oh shanty town were gonna tear ya down
I got money comin' out of me stockin's
Tonight I'm due to bushwhack Sue
And take her to the gumboot cloggeroo
And we'll do a little gumboot cloggin'
Do a little gumboot cloggin'

There's fish and brews and a quahog stew and a bowl of clam chowder
Just see me reach for that Newfie Screech
when they diddle up the fiddle jig louder
Hear the french girls sing, and the guitars ring
and the squeezebox skweek-a-dee squakin'
Me and my Sue are gonna "hoop de doo"
take her to the Gumboot Cloggeroo
And we'll do a little gumboot cloggin'
Do a little gumboot cloggin'

There's "Boots" Bernard and the rough Richards
and the girls from way down Tracadie
How many "blue nosers" and "herring chokers"
we just don't know exactly
Pack 'em all in tight and we'll dance all night,
get the old barn floor just a-rockin'
I'll buy a ring dang doo for PEI Sue,
take her to the Gumboot Cloggeroo
And we'll do a little gumboot cloggin'
Do a little gumboot cloggin'

Oh we sailed away at the break o' day to pull traps in oilskin trousers
On the "Suzy Jack", but tonight we're back with a thousand pounds of lobsters
Oh shanty town, we're gonna tear you down
I got the money comin' out of me stockin's
Tonight I'm due to bushwhack Sue,
take her to the Gumboot Cloggeroo
And we'll do a little gumboot cloggin'
Do a little gumboot cloggin'

There's fish and brews and a quahog stew and a bowl of clam chowder
Just see me reach for that Newfie Screech
when they diddle up the fiddle jig louder
Hear the french girls sing, and the guitars ring
and the squeezebox skweek-a-dee squakin'
Me and my Sue are gonna "hoop de doo"
take her to the Gumboot Cloggeroo
And we'll do a little gumboot cloggin'
Do a little gumboot cloggin'

This is the opposite - forcing a linguistic change, one referring to someone else at that. If someone insisted I use "womyn" to refer to them because they found "woman" insulting, sure I'd do it. If they insisted I do it for everyone, then no, they don't have that right. If someone from the US wants to call themselves a novelty name that's his business. If someone wants to insist on labeling me, I feel free to express my opinion.