Saturday, August 8, 2009

Answer: Where did the word come from

Question: Most etymologists agree that this word is Dutch in origin. The most popular version suggests that the word is a bastardized version of ‘John Kaas’ or ‘John Cheese’, which can be thought of as a parallel for John Bull or Uncle Sam, and was used for Dutch settled in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. This nickname came to the New World when the English applied it contemptuously to Dutch pirates. The New York Dutch applied the term with the same contempt to the residents of Connecticut. Which word?

Answer : The word is 'Yankee' used to refer in general to people of US origin or in earlier times specifically people belonging to New England region of the US. Now you know what the New York 'Yankees' are made of...... Cheese!

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