Labels for Locals: What to Call People from Abilene to Zimbabwe

by Paul Dickson and Guy Billout

Book Overview

In our globally interconnected age, misnaming where someone is from or the cultural group to which they belong often constitutes more than a harmless social gaffe. Labels for Locals provides guidance on the preferred, and sometimes disdained, names for selected locales, cities, regions, countries, and ethnic groups worldwide.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006088164X
• ISBN13: 9780060881641
• Release Date: August 2006
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

Thumbs up from a Seattleite

Ever since I traveled extensively around the US a few years back and heard the term "Michigander," I can't help but wonder what locals are called in every place I travel. Some labels are easy to figure out (New Yorker), some I just know because I've lived there all my life (Seattleite), but when I come across a place like Massachusetts, where adding an "er" or an "an" just makes it a mouthful, what am I supposed to do? Now I know: read this book! Dickson has gathered "labels for locals" from places all around the world, and every since I ordered the book I've been searching through the pages eager to see if the next city or country I come up with is there and what the locals are called. It's not always necessary to visit a country and immediately know what the locals are called, but it's certainly interesting to know. Dickson also gives the history of many of the labels, interesting tidbits as well. The book is easy to peruse and find what you're looking for, and there's an informative introduction by Dickson about some of the obstacles in history of finding names of locals. I definitely recommend this book!