Rete

I've only seen the word 'Mu[e]rica or 'Mu[e]rican used here on BE. And I immediately saw it as a slur.

As for the use of America and US it is interchangeable like the nouns Brit/British and UK. A person or a way of life or a food is American or British and their homeland is the UK or the US.

Former Lancastrian

First time I saw it I thought it was more of a piss taking way of saying it but hey we all see things differently. Even some of the American people I worked with it found it funnier as opposed to being insulted by it.

scrubbedexpat091

Most of what I have ever received from any postal service are parcels, and the USPS does a decent job in that aspect for a decent price.

I mailed a parcel in So., California to Virginia for $8, mailed at 4pm local time on a Tuesday, arrived Thursday at 9:43am local time, not even a full 48 hours.

Cost for the same parcel with UPS or Fedex for 2 day service was far more.

Letter mail might be non-existent these days, but parcels are becoming a large part of the mail and will likely keep growing.

People always forget about the parcels the USPS also moves through the system, it's not just about letter mail.

Leslie

It's obviously a slur. How do I know this? Because it's never used in a good natured way. The person using it is inevitably somebody who has a major chip on their shoulder toward the US. Probably somebody who tried to immigrate and couldn't get in --- and has yet to move on.

zzrmark

Does the term Limey offend you? I had a post removed from an American military forum when I referred to myself as a Limey, apparently USMC consider it racist. Americans might use it derogoratorily but I see nothing to be ashamed of - British sailors avoiding scurvy by sucking on limes strikes me as getting one up on your enemy.
It's a thin line though, I consider squaddie or cannon-fodder acceptable but pongo is a no-no.

Leslie

No. That word doesn't offend me. 'Merica' doesn't offend me either. I think the conversation is more about if the word 'Merica', as it was used in this thread, was meant to be friendly or insulting. Rete referred to it as a 'slur'. I actually double checked the dictionary definition of 'slur' before I replied, just to make sure I knew what I was agreeing with...

...an insinuation or allegation about someone that is likely to insult them or damage their reputation.

IMO it was deliberately insulting so it fit the definition.

In the case of your situation on the military forum (I would look at that as a matter of protocols being the enemy of nuance) I'm sure they have to regulate the language used when referring to cultures and ethnicities because it could really get out of hand on a site in that genre. OTOH in all of the years I've posted on BE, I've never referred to any individual as a 'limey' nor have I been tempted. Not because I view it as offensive, but I can't say for sure how it would be received. That's the thing about using labels, once you've said them out loud, you no longer control their meaning.

Former Lancastrian

See this is the trouble posters think they know and their opinion is based on a written word without knowing the true intent behind it.
For the record I have never attempted to move to the USA nor do I have a chip on my shoulder. Would I consider moving to the US well only if I met and married a US citizen as there is no other route available to me but I could be one those Snowbirds who inhabit certain Southern states from Nov to Apr to escape the sometimes brutal Canadian winters and at the moment it a balmy MINUS 30C where I am.

The first time I heard the word Merica and then later Murica was in the office I was working with USCBP officers in a Pre Clearance airport in Canada. It was said by a USCBP officer who was taking the piss out of one of his co workers due to his southern drawl accent and the way the word sounded to him. I thought nothing of it as most were to interested in taking the piss out of my accent and certain words I used during general conversation in the office.
I have heard Texan, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Minnesotan and a host of other accents within the office. We all do the same job bar wearing a different uniform representing each others countries.

Im so glad you could read my mind and come to the conclusion that when I wrote that word it was meant in an insulting or derogatory manner as obviously you are a mind reader.

Again opinions are like ***holes everybody has one.

There happy now that you now know the context behind this word and the way I used it.

Leslie

The only time I've ever heard the term used has been here, on BE, and never in complimentary or collegial way.

Thank you for explaining that the term is used to 'take the piss' out of the way that Americans speak.

From the wiki:

...Taking the piss is a Commonwealth term meaning to take liberties at the expense of others, or to be joking, or to be unreasonable. It is a shortening of the idiom taking the piss out of, which is an expression meaning to mock, tease, joke, ridicule, or scoff.


I was already happy but thanks for asking.

Former Lancastrian

...Taking the piss is a Commonwealth term , or to be joking, It is a shortening of the idiom taking the piss out of, which is an expression meaning to joke,

There FIFY. Y'all have a nice day now. Or is that a no go

civilservant

I think there's no doubt that it's meant in a negative way - but there are also far too many people that take this sort of thing seriously. Do you know the amount of Americans who have learn't that I'm British and come up with some variation of 'right-o chap' within 10 seconds? That's a negative too, but I take it in the spirit it's intended.

I do however agree that the perception is the reality, regardless of the intent.

Former Lancastrian

I guess electing Trump has seriously played havoc in the sense of humour department with some Yanks. Ooops can I use that word? I meant it in a joking way less someone is offended and not understanding the context in which it was being said.
Anyway Toodle Pip Old Chap must go and exercise the hounds and then sit and relax with a nice glass of port.

civilservant

Hell I refer to my colleges as rednecks routinely - and I mostly get called an a**hole back

Leslie

I agree. I've seen it on this website many times and I've never felt the need to comment but there was an ongoing debate about the usage so I gave my opinion.

I'm not offended in the least, feel free to use it as often as you like. I just want you to be happy.

Out of curiosity though ... do you "like" the US? Do you have positive feelings towards America and Americans?

Former Lancastrian

I have no qualms with the US or its citizens and I have spent many an enjoyable vacation throughout the USA. I did feel somewhat uneasy on riding the red line as far as it went on the South Side of Chicago but nothing bad happened and tbh thats the only time in the US I had a somewhat negative vibe. Was somewhat surprised how different Bourbon St is in real life and how a 3 for 1 drink still ends up costing you $15 Vegas great for people watching. Excellent scenic drives in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Arizona and Utah. Would love to see what Orlando looks like now as opposed to when I last went over 30 yrs ago. Still lots of more places to see and states to visit.
Now if we could get our dollar back to par then I would visit more often be it on vacation or a weekend shopping, eating, drinking and mooching around.

Leslie

What did you think Bourbon Street would be like?