"Does being called a "Brit" offend anyone?" Topic

Just curious to see if this term is considered offensive, as I have seen where the term Pakistani is offensive to many Pakistanis.

If it is anything like being called a Yank-(which I don't care for) from what I hear is derived from the Dutch word yonk.
So the Yankee doodle dandy song is kind of a slap in the face if you understand the terms.

I don't mind myself. It can be used in a rather dismissive way though, just like Yank (which in my mind is not negative, although I wouldn't use it – in case it was seen as dismissive.)

Well it would offend me as I am an Australian

I'm British. It depends on how it is said!

Never bothered me in the least – totally inoccuous abbreviation. Over here you certainly don't shorten Pakistani the same way though – that's become a decidedly offensive epithet due to use as an abusive term by racist scumbags.

Never call a Scotsman, or a Welshman English, and you are probably good.

WW2 congruent address would be Tommy. Brit is I think a more modern shortening for British.

How about an Aussie Cardinal? Is that offensive?

I think as Beaumap points out tone can have a great deal to do with how it is taken.

So Tommy would be more enduring than Brit, and I guess Tommy would be along the same lines of Yank.

It depends on the context, but in general it is fine. When qualified with an expletive, probably not.

As Dom says, calling people from Pakistan the shortened version isn't such a great idea.

"So Tommy would be more enduring than Brit"

Call most people here 'Tommy' and they will look at you blankly unless they are over 70. The over 70s will think you are German.

As mentioned above, Tommy is more of a WW1/WW2 term, derived from Thomas Atkins, the archetypal British soldier in Kiplings poem.

'Aussie' is certainly not offensive to Australians, but, misused on the other side of the Tasman, could lead you to war with New Zealand.

Hawkwood is certainly not an offensive Aussie Cardinal, (No cardinal sin there,) but we do have at least one down here…

The shortening of British to Brit started in Ulter as a republican/IRA supporter insult, so some people are much touchier about it than others.

These days it is pretty generic, like calling an American a yank.

As someone once quoted, like it or not, you do not get to choose your own nickname.

I assume that was a typo and he missed "shortening" out….

I'm not offended as such – I just don't like it. Brit rhymes with…sh….and anyway is it so hard to say British ? It's only 3 more letters. Never hear Germans referred to as Germies or French as Frens (Frenchies – yes, I have heard that).

I can sort of see the point of Aussie for Australian and Yank for "Citizen of the united states of America". I'm told that some citizens of the united states of America don't like to be called yanks.

Americans is a common place – but presumably a Canadian or an Argentinian is also an American – they live in America after all? Like if you're French or British you're also European.

Oh, that four letter shortening of Pakistani – that's like the n-word, we don't do that anymore.

I'm a Brit and proud of it!!

> anyway is it so hard to say British ? It's only 3 more letters.

We Americans are well known for hating the use of more then one syllable names. It is a terrible waste of oxygen…

Like our Australian friends it offends me but I am a Rhodesian
Ian ( Shell Hole & 20mmZone )

I wouldn't be offended even if it is preceded by an expletive.

I don't find it offensive but it's not a term I'd use. But then, I hardly ever have occasion to use the term British either. If someone asked me my nationality I would say English (most of the time) or Welsh (when watching rugby). To me describing yourself as 'British' sounds positively Victorian.

"The shortening of British to Brit started in Ulter as a republican/IRA supporter insult, so some people are much touchier about it than others."

Well, I think we have successfully gained ownership of 'Brit' from the IRA so that is less of an issue now. But as I said, context matters.

I'm English, not British.

Anyway, it depends on the context. Yanks, sorry Americans, can often use it in a derogatory sense, "the Brits couldn't have won it without us blah blah", so in that sense it's the same as being called "Poms".

Not me … But I not British ! I'm a Yank !

No they don't get called Frenchies or Germies, it tends to be Krauts (or huns)or Frogs in impolite company…

I blame 2000AD : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brit-Cit

I have a good friend from South Carolina who is offended by being called a "Yank". A @&%# Yank is someone from the North who destroyed his precious home and shot his great-great grandfather.

My wife had a bit of fun calling him a Northerner (being from Southern Brasil she can say anyone North of the equator is a Northerner). He turns a bit red, but can't argue with her.

Yes, some people from the south are offended by the term yank as an association with being called a Yankee (from the late unpleasantness). Another regional nuance that may be lost on people not from the US.

I'm not much on being called a Brit myself. But I'm an American so I guess that's to be expected.

I am from the Deep South, and I can't imagine anyone who would really confuse "Yank" with "Yankee" (which is usually somewhat derogatory). Queer looks, maybe.

Especially if spoke with a "definitely not from around here" accent.

Odd (smile), as I'm happy to be called a "Yank". Two of my great-great grandfathers went down south and helped to sort out that silliness. Both from Kentucky and one was proud enough to name his son both Grant & Sherman. Of course then the family movied to Union county in Indiana. Only neo-confederates think "Yank" is an insult, to the rest of the world it is a WWI/WWII label for US servicemen.

When I've traveled, I'm always called an "American" in most foriegn conversations. Canadians are Canadians and Mexicans are Mexicans. Not fair, but specific.

Always surprised that in the UK that folks cling to regional labels. Would be as if I went around and claimed to be from Wisconsin or Minnesota. Of course, to be honest, we do have Texans…

Dan

Yes it does a bit, as I'm from Yorkshire!

Hey- I'm a Texan (by birth).

Being a fellow Yorkshireman I must agree that we don't have owt to do with those other types, southerners, lancastrians and the like. No, Brit is not offensive in itself. If you are virtually puking the word with venom, then yes, probably.
I don't see a Pakistani being offended by being called a Pakistani, because thats what he is. I know lots of pakistanis and this is a first for me, although the short version of Pakistani is just a neo nazi thug insult, so that is different. Are you sure they were from Pakistan? If they were Bengali, Nepalese or Indian they would be offended yes. Bit like calling me French because we are both Caucasian. Now that is fighting talk!

I'm live on the outskirts of London. You hear the term Brit fairly regularly and no offensive connotations are attached.

I don't care if you describe me as English or British because I am both.

I usually refer to myself as British rather than English because I believe the inhabitants of these islands are better off together rather than a bunch of separate entities. A bit like one big family that bickers all the time……

Pakistanis and Indians don't get on so well.
Don't call an Indian a Pakistani.
They can get pretty excited.

I think of myself as English or Scouse ( Liverpool ).
Seems to me that if you get upset about someone calling you a yank or brit then you need to get out more and find some perspective.

To me words only have power if we give them power. That power can come from context and delivery or just plain repetition. I have asked some of my Canadian friends if "Canuck" was offensive? They laughed at the notion, but I'm sure you could find someone who finds any nickname based on your homeland to be offensive.

There was a definite need to adjust the respect and sensitivity gauge in the last century. But I fear we have gone overboard with it.

Signed: A Yankee, Cheese-head, WASP, Honkey, Duffer named Michael

This is going really show my ignorance and my age, but what is a Rhodesian?

I have a vague reconciliation that it something linked with Zimbabwe whilst under the empire, but I will freely admit I haven't really got a clue.

My best friend's dad was serving in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during WW-II.

He started a fight in a bar one night (more like a riot) by making one little comment to some Australian troops.

"You know them Brit's they will fight to the last Australian!"

There used to be a chinese tailor here in town whose name was Pak Kee and he called his little shop "Pak Kee, Tailor". He was the best tailor in town but it was always ackward when you tried to send people to him.

Rhodesian – someone from Rhodesia.

British colony of Southern Rhodesia made the Unilateral Decleration of Independance (UDI) and became an unrecognised country. Reason – to retain White only Government.

Became Zimbabawe in 1980 once ZANU and ZAPU had won the bush war.

Only neo-confederates think "Yank" is an insult

Not hardly. Great over-generalization, though.

So I suppose some people (who are oddly enough Americans) DON'T make the distinction between "yank" and "Yankee". It takes all kinds.

@Young Guard – you're not alone in your confusion … I'm not sure that one can actually be Rhodesian anymore (or ever could officially), unless perhaps he is from the island of Rhodes …

No offense intended to the gentleman himself! It just seemed an odd colonial reference.

I've never been called a Brit. I have been asked if I am British and I always answer "I'm English".

Well give it a few years and Brits will be calling Pakistanis ماجستير.

Kiwis, Yanks, Brits, Aussies – hard to be offended – I think they are badges of honour.

We had the britpop scene with Oasis, Blur et al. We also have the yearly Brit awards. Given that, I would suggest its a pretty standard term for british.
Now, if you really want to upset us, call us European………….
CAT – a person from Rhodes is a Rhodian, as in the slingers. Someone who was born in the country of Rhodesia will probably still identify as Rhodesian. All the ones I know do. Over here we have a few million Hungarians who suddenly became Romanians in 1920 after he ww1 treaties moved the boundaries. Now, almost 100 years later, they still do not identify as Romanian and you'd better be a fast runner if you suggested that they were!

Most of us are happy as long as you don't use British when you mean English, and English when you mean British.

And the term Limey which was from the Napoleonic days when the British sailors used to suck Limes to prevent scurvy would be akin to calling a Frenchman a frog correct?
Not sure anyone uses that anymore.

Not really, Limey and Pom don't cause any insult to me. Being called a small slimy hopping thing can't be nice though. The French actually call us roast beefs. We don't care, we just call them the ones who lost.
I think it's all a bit silly. To anyone not American, all Americans are yanks. We don't care or know about north south rivalry. On a similar vein, Brit and English is interchangeable for any non UK person. I've never heard a scot called a Brit, though if we are, so are they. But, if you don't know that – and why should you – what does it matter. I think you have to be pretty thin skinned to take offense.

Well this Brit doesn't mind the word at all

Proud to be called a Brit, happily use the term as shorthand meself…

Also don't mind being called a 'Pom', especially by people who are stupid enought to think I get upset by their deliberate use of the term as an insult – after 22 years in uniform the only insult I care about is one that comes at high velocity.

Interestingly though, the term 'Pom', used by Australians to describe Brits, may be derived from 'pomegranate' the red coloured fruit, referring to the vulnerability to the Southern sun of many fiar skinned Anglos…

I suspect many of the liberals from the leafy Sydney suburbs who use the term freely to show their disdain for all things British – monarchy, freedom of speech, substance over show; would probably choke on their chardonnay if they knew it was a colour based insult!

Depends where you are. I don't mind being called a Brit as living in New Zealand English is usually said with such venom. When travelling in Asia I find people more friendly when you say that you are English. Crossing the Mexico US border on the 4th of July a border guard (Police?) gave me a hard time. I was unable to defend myself as I had to fly out from LA in the next couple of days.