About the word Canuck??

The best analogy is with the use of the term "Yankee". Patronizing and perjorative in some contexts, positive in others. Both started during the American Revolution, or slightly before, and were used in a perjorative sense. The British army referred to the American-born colonists as Yankees, and is probably a dutch term (a lot of the colonialists were of dutch origin) related to either the dutch name for "Johnny" or "cheeseater". It was the British troops who came up with the drinking song "Yankee Doodle Dandy" to insult the locals in the taverns. A very insulting term when it was coined, the Continental Army adopted it with pride.

The American Revoloutionary troops referred to the Canadians (American troops invaded Quebec during the American Revolution) as Canucks, which was probably a French Canadian derisive term that was actually applied to the American invaders, who probably didn't know what it meant but heard the French Canadians using it a lot. This is often a way that certain actual names for peoples actually occur in history. It's translation was probably close to the modern day "goof" or "dickhead". As is usual, often the perjorative names are adopted by its victims with pride.

Its probably safer for non-Canadians not to use the term, unless you are close friends with the person and know they won't take offense. Imagine how you would feel if someone called you a Yank in different contexts.

In terms of use of Canucks for our national teams, some of the players on the Canadian teams have been applying the name to themselves with pride lately, especially the U-20's Canadian Soccer team. who went around extolling the "new Canuck style", a more agresive attitude. Probably the term would not be used in hockey for our national team given that there is an NHL team called the Vancouver Canucks, anymore than an American National baseball team would refer to themselves as "Yankees".

Some links discussing origin of the term "Canuck":

http://northonline.sccd.ctc.edu/chaseplace/claslink/Canuck..htm

http://www.comnet.ca/~dmarchak/candef.htm

 

Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say 'canuck' at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred.

 

If it affected sacred values, George W would be supporting a contsitutional ammendment to deal with it.

You Damn Yanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You don't frighten us, Canadian pig-dogs! Go and boil your bottom, sons of a silly person. I blow my nose at you, so-called Prime Minister, you and all your silly Canandian k-anucks. Thpppppt! Thppt! Thppt!

 

hahahahahahahahahaha, i lose, you win, come and set up a MacDonalds in my neighbourhood anytime you like. )

 

I'm still pissed that the US did not acquire the territories south of the St. Lawrence River to the US border by force when they had the chance...

Kidding.

 

I think Vancouver named the team the Canucks because of the Canadian tall tale about Johnny Canuck (I think he's like their Paul Bunyan). The character was probably named after the term given to them by the British and the Canadians decided to glamorize the term Canuck and not make it derogitory so they named a character in a tale tale Canuck so there people could feel beter about the use of the term. I am not Canadian so I don't know if any of this is 100% correct.

 

Google is a wonderful thing:

http://northonline.sccd.ctc.edu/chaseplace/claslink/Canuck..htm

And Canuck is about as pejorative as the term Aussie. I doubt that there is a single Canadian that would be offended by being referred to as a Canuck. I wouldn't.

In fact, during the Sydney Olympics the group of Canadians that I was watching the Games with took to chanting "Canuck, Canuck, Canuck, D'oh, D'oh, D'oh" as a Canadian equivalent to the omnipresent "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oie, Oie, Oie" chant heard throughout the Games. If you remember how Canada did in Australia you will understand why we were making reference to Homer Simpson. This has little to do with the question, but it still amuses me…..