Michigander
English
Etymology
Attributed to Abraham Lincoln, in a speech of July 27, 1848, as pejorative reference to Lewis Cass, Michigan politician:[1]
- There is one entire article of the sort I have not discussed yet; I mean the military tale you Democrats are now engaged in dovetailing onto the great Michigander.
Ostensibly coined as a blend of Michigan + gander (“male goose, simpleton”) (punning on “tale” and “(dove)tail(ing)”), later reanalyzed as Michigan + -d- (epenthetic) + -er (“resident of”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ˈmɪ.ʃə.ˌɡæn.dɚ]
Noun
Michigander (plural Michiganders)
- (US) A native or resident of the state of Michigan in the United States of America.
- (uncommon, humorous) In particular, a man from Michigan, contrasted with a Michigoose (“woman from Michigan”).
- 1916, Moderator-topics, volume 36, page 165:
- Where is the little Michigander or Michigoose who is plugging along, so contentedly ensconced in his bi-valve surroundings as not to be touched by even an echo of the great state meeting of his profession?
- 1982, Michigan Natural Resources Magazine, volumes 51-52, page 77:
- From Dale E. Pasco of Owosso: "My parents were both one room school teachers and they taught it this way: I'm a Michigander, my wife is a Michigoose, our kids are Michigoslins, so what is the use."
- 1916, Moderator-topics, volume 36, page 165:
Usage notes
Preferred but not universal endonym for residents of Michigan. A 2011 poll of Michigan residents found 58% preferred "Michigander", 12% preferred "Michiganian", 12% had no preference, and 11% did not like either term.[2] However, the US Government Printing Office Style Manual prescribes "Michiganian".
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Translations
person
|
References
- Michigan Today News. "Talking About Words". University of Michigan News Service. September 15, 2003.
- Poll: 'Michiganders' embrace the label
Anagrams
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.