Posted by Peter Ceresole on June 09, 2006 at 16:45:13 from 80.177.22.49 user PeterC.
In Reply to: USA - was C(h)ronology - Was Re: Ages of the S's, A's and D's. posted by Mark Dudley on June 09, 2006 at 14:23:06:
aren't the people of the USA Americans?
Only in an inclusive way- of course they are Americans, along with Mexicans and Cubans and Venezuelans and Canadians. But 'America' is not 'the USA', nor vice versa, as any visit to Latin America will show you.
Or should it be Citizens of the United States of America?
Technically, I suppose so. But that's far too long. When it's an issue, I've used 'Yanks'. There's absolutely no shame in that usage; 'the Yanks are coming'. But go to Havana and try using 'American' to mean 'USAnian'. They won't have it.