Regional Nicknames

[airbolt]

In the UK there are nicknames for people depending on the region - Geordie,Cockney etc . I would be interested if anyone knows what the equivalents would be in other Countries ie France, Germany etc. The only famous one i know is " Ein Berliner " which is a sort of Hot Dog and not someone from Berlin ( or thats what i was told! )

[ah9815]

Actually "ein Berliner" is "a doughnut". Often the Germans are referred to by English speaking countries (at least) as "Krauts" (Kraut is German for "cabbage") and the French by the English as "the Frogs".

The Northern Germans are referred to by their own fellow countrymen as "Fischk�pfe" (fishheads) (or even incorrectly as Fischk�pe to avoid the linguistic correctness which is associated with Northern Germany). Former East Germans are referred to often as "Ossies" although this is not as pejorative as "Fischkopf". However, there are many stereotypes occociated with (former) East Germans such as laziness, stupidity even, whereas West Germans are considered as arrogant by their eastern counterparts.

[Kingaroo]

The Berliner thing came from US President Kennedy, who tried to show his empathy for the people of Berlin by saying he was "a Berliner." Unfortunately, that was like going to Denmark and claiming to be a danish.

Though people in other countries call Americans Yankees, here in the US you'd only use that to describe someone from the north, especially New England, the cold northeast.. I don't hear it shortened to Yank.

Some states have their own nicknames: Hoosier (Iowa I think) and Okie (Oklahoma).

Most other nicknames I can think of are more about a lifestyle than a particular location -- redneck, good old boy, cracker, white trash are generally southerners, but not from any particular place.

[amarillis]

In Australia the different states have different nicknames, for example

someone from Queensland is a bananna bender

a Western Australian is a sandgroper

South Australians are known as crow eaters

[Quizmonster]

In over 40 years, since Kennedy's famous claim, I've never heard anyone explain what a native of Berlin actually is called. I'm no expert in German, but - from what little of the language I do recall - 'Berliner' seems perfectly accurate to me. Isn't a native of Dresden a Dresdener? The fact that 'Berliner' may also be the name of a sausage or a doughnut seems immaterial.

[kempie]

Quizmonster - JFK should have said "Ich bin Berliner" (without the "ein") to signify "I am of/from Berlin" and not indeed a doughnut.  Similarly an inhabitant of Frankfurt would say "Ich bin Frankfurter" to distinguish himself from a sausage.

[airbolt]

Once started , these threads acquire a life of their own! I was especially intrigued by the reginal nickname of "Fischkopf" for Northern Germans . Also re " Banana Benders "? - the mind boggles! Keep em coming :)

[Quizmonster]

thanks, k.

[Quizmonster]

What's with this lower case business? I never write answers where the opening letter of a sentence is in lower case! Now, it often just appears that way.

[Ouisch]

As Kingaroo mentioned, many states have their own nicknames for their residents:  Hoosiers for folks in Indiana, Tarheels for North Carolinians, Sooners for Oklahomans, Buckeyes in Ohio, etc.  Redneck and Hillbilly are derisive nicknames for folks from the South, and as my Georgia-born husband will tell you, there's a difference between a hillbilly and a Southerner.  People in Maine are sometimes called "Down-Easters", and then there are those Cheeseheads in Wisconsin...

[Sequin]

People on the Isle of Man refer to non-manx residents as "Come-overs", because the have come over the sea on the ferry