Plan B Forum

Americans and Australians share so much when it comes to a common language, values of liberal democracy, and certain similarities of history. But the Yanks and the Aussies are just different enough that they often look at each other sideways—whether it’s disagreements over snacks or confusion with slang. Which is precisely why the US military published a booklet during World War II in order to bridge the cultural divide.

With President Trump bent on destroying the historic relationship between the two countries, it seems like a perfect time to look at an artifact of WWII that was intended to bring Americans and Australians together. Published in 1942, the 54 page book “Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia” gave Americans information on everything from statistics on food (the average Australian ate twice as much beef as Americans at the time) to the kind of slang they were likely to hear (“bonzer,” for instance, was a word for “great or super”).

Of course, some of the references in the pamphlet are rather offensive, even for the period. The book refers to the “70,000 or so primitive ‘Abos’” in the country, a highly offensive term for Aboriginal Australians. And there’s no shortage of racism against the Japanese (widely referred to as “Japs” in the US) who were, of course, the adversary in the Pacific theater.

Gob wrote:

Of course, some of the references in the pamphlet are rather offensive, even for the period. The book refers to the “70,000 or so primitive ‘Abos’” in the country, a highly offensive term for Aboriginal Australians. And there’s no shortage of racism against the Japanese (widely referred to as “Japs” in the US) who were, of course, the adversary in the Pacific theater.

Oh me oh my, some fucking snowflake generation middle class white person may read pamphlet that and get butt hurt!!!!

And what teh fuck is offensive about "Japs"?

Brits.
Aussies
Yanks

I'm going to weep into my flower hat if someone uses those terms......

I don't have any Japanese friends.

Lord Jim wrote:I think it would be very insulting to refer to a Nip as a Jap...

wesw wrote:yanks was intended as an insult also.

so what?

it all depends on if you allow yourself to be insulted.

You're a sap, Mr. Jap, you make a Yankee cranky
You're a sap, Mr. Jap, Uncle Sammy's gonna spanky
Wait and see before we're done
The A, B, C and D will sink your rising sun*
You're a sap, Mr. Jap, you don't know Uncle Sammy
When he fights for his rights, you'll take it on the lammy
For he'll wipe the Axis right off the map
You're a sap, sap sap, Mr. Jap

You're a sap, Mr. Jap, you make a Yankee cranky
You're a sap, Mr. Jap, Uncle Sammy's gonna spanky
Wait and see before we're done
The A, B, C and D will sink your rising sun
You're a sap, Mr. Jap, oh what a load to carry
Don't you know, don't you know, you're committing hari-kari
For we'll wipe the Axis right off the map
You're a sap, sap, sap, Mr. Jap ..."

The nickname of Joe DiMaggio, a Major League Baseball player
Yankee Clipper is a sea scout sailing vessel (Gaff Headed Ketch) in the city of Seattle.
Clipper ships developed by New Englanders in the mid-nineteenth century
A Pan American Airways Boeing 314 flying boat
The Apollo 12 command module
The Yankee Clipper refers to Mark Wahlberg's character in the 2011 film The Other Guys for shooting baseball player Derek Jeter.
Yankee Clipper (train), a passenger train service between New York City and Boston
Yankee Clipper (Harbour Cruise), a NY waterway harbour cruise
The American Aviation AA-1 Yankee Clipper light aircraft
The Yankee Clipper (1927 film)
Restaurant occupying the 170-176 John Street Building in New York

rubato wrote:It does not matter if one or two people used it as an insult it was accepted by Americans as a self-deprecating and positive nickname so proven by that great musician Spike Jones:

You're a sap, Mr. Jap, you make a Yankee cranky
You're a sap, Mr. Jap, Uncle Sammy's gonna spanky
Wait and see before we're done
The A, B, C and D will sink your rising sun...