Hi,

Erm, I thought I had made enough disclaimers... but maybe not :)

My habit is not to prescribe, but rather to inform (when possible!...though I regret not always with enough humility). Say what you like and I won't stop you. No need (in my opinion) to debate power relations and histories of oppression and how these factor into who may say what. Nor is there any need (again in my opinion) to take engage in the "not everyone" argument or the "but what about *this* exception" argument.

My simple point (which I think Grishka, for one, followed) is that, under "normal" circumstances, it is most appropriate to call people that which they wish to be called and call themselves. People of USA call themselves Americans. No amount of pontificating by "outsiders" on what seems most logical or proper will change that. The indignation comes from outsiders presuming to make the judgement on what is most logical, proper, appropriate, practical, etc instead of just respecting what said group uses. It's not your call—unless, of course, you want to limit the discussion to your own in-group.

You're living in a dream world if you happen to think "Yank" is a neutral equivalent of "American" as perceived by most people of USA. (There is a difference between "not terribly threatened by it" and "perceived as neutral".) Which means that you can only really safely continue to use it with the belief that it is neutral (i.e. despite the knowledge that many Americans don't like it) within your own (outsider) sphere. I (an American) am not going to poke into UK English sphere and try to stop people from saying things! By the same token, outsiders poking into American sphere and arguing that they are wrong to dislike "Yank" because of so-and-so historical examples is both pointless and rude.

Whereas it might be conventional in one's group to use certain names for things—for instance, I and my peers call a sleeveless undershirt, innocuously in our sense, a "wife-beater"— to quarrel with people in another group that dislike the name is crossing the line into arrogance. My earlier post was to inform that that line was being crossed. One can register that information, :) use it as one sees fit, and move on!

Affably,
Gibb