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jillford64 · Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 397 Location: Sin City

I am from the United States.

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

Sorry to take the bugger out of your ear, whoever lambasted me about correcting Guy in his use of the canuck term but here is the dope.

In the 1972 race for the White House, Chuck Carlson, a sleezy political Republican operative in the White House, planted a bogus letter from Ed Muskie`s wife to a Maine newspaper in which the prospective first lady made a spurious charge to another party that he was only a Canuck so what did he know anyway.

The national press had no idea that Chuckie baby had planted the letter and thought for sure that Ms. Muskie wrote the article for sure and badgered the Senator from Maine for several days about his wife`s impropriety. In a speech in a northern state while it was snowing, Muskie became very emotional and choked a few times in giving his campaign speech and addressing the charges. The snow on his face melted and gave the appearance of tears and poor ole Muskie had to bow out of the race.

The incident was a particularly poignant one on account of several reasons. The first was that he was the only Democrat running for Prez who could have beaten Nixon, as he had a 8 point lead over the prez. In every other matchup with the other prospective contenders, Nixon was ahead in the polls.

The other point is that Muskie was born, raised and a Maine true to heart. In Maine, being called a Canuck is a highly perjorative term. Whether it is today, I don`t know. But then, the term was as bad as the N word.

Many people today use perjorative terms freely in a highly ironic manner. It has become common to use bitches, whores, kikes, wops, etc. freely in comedic discourse. The excuse of ironic intent masks all too well those that are truly bigoted as well as those who are not. Racists are hiding among the free use of ethnic slurs and those that yes, who are politically correct to the point of absurdity, are going to great lengths to point every racial slur, imagined or not.

But that is still begging the question. For every person who cries foul, you dastardly politically correct leftist, I have to question your aggressive stance. So what you would like is to freely bandy about ethnic, religious, racial epithets with complete impunity. After all, we`re all Americans under the skin even if you are a n......, a k..., a w..., isn`t that what you think?

Shame on you.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

At present, 10 of us here are Americans (under the skin or otherwise), while 12 are Canucks.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

MELEE · Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 2:14 pm Post subject:

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

My mistake...14 to 12, now. Enough for a good ole soccer match to decide the outcome of the the word Canuck.

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

Polly0607 · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 64

I don't have a problem with being called a Canuck either. I have never heard the word used in a derrogatory way by Canadians.

I have to admit, I don't really understand geaaronson's post. I'm a New Brunswicker (New Brunswick being the province that borders Maine for those who don't know) and I have never heard a Mainer say that Canuck was a bad thing.

I would have to agree with wikipedia on this one. It is generally a positive word, but like any word, could be derrogative if used in that way by an outsider.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canuck

gordogringo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 159 Location: Tijuana

M@tt · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 473 Location: here and there

that puts the ratio around 100,000:1 in favor of sinatra

gordogringo · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 159 Location: Tijuana

ontoit · Joined: 18 Jun 2006 Posts: 99

cangringo · Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 327 Location: Vancouver, Canada

Ok Ok no one hit me....(ducking)

I know this is an older topic but I wasn't able to post - no computer - when it was started and being a Canuck I just had to pipe up. We are always being accused of not defending ourselves so yes I enjoy being a Canuck and I'm from Vancouver, home of the infamous hockey team bearing our national nickname. They used to be a big joke but we may just make playoffs this year. Canucklehead I believe was coined for the team and Don Cherry has made a point of his hatred for the nucks.

Anyway glad to be a Canuck in Mexico and wish I could watch hockey instead of just listen to it over the internet. Sigh....although we did have beer and pizza and listen to a game last night. So Canadian!!

Only Mexican teachers at our school - we do have some missionaries taking Spanish though.

thelmadatter · Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2007 6:05 pm Post subject: gringo

Im American (and a Jerseyite) and I dont mind the word "gringo" either. Depends on the intention of the speaker. It can be a term of affection, used for a little gentle ribbing (like when Im doing something so stereotypically gringo) or it can be pejorative. It just depends.

I imagine it is the same with "canuck" as well (though I admit we dont have a sports team with the name "gringos" --- maybe we should!)

As for Franky Baby, everyone in NJ knows he was mixed up with the mob and his personal life left much to be desired in many ways. But he is/will be remembered for his music, and that's probably the most important.

FreddyM · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 180 Location: Mexico

I was born in Mexico. I didn't vote, cuz I didn't want to select the category "other"...seems sorta odd to leave that out when this is a forum about Mexico, eh?
I grew up in Texas however, so I tell my students I am from both Texas and Mexico, beats having to tell the long story of what I'm doing here, and how I come I speak better English than Spanish when I look like the average Mexican.