Canuck, n., Canadian (although it now refers to any Canadian, in the past [and to some extent still in New England and the eastern part of Canada] Canuck referred specifically to a French Canadien)
Is Canuck an offensive term? I had always assumed it was, so during my recent trip to British Columbia I met a few Canadians and asked them for their thoughts. They said that they were not offended being called Canucks and didn't believe that it was derogatory in any way, that it is a common American misconception that Canuck is offensive. As proof of its harmlessness, they informed me that there is even an NHL hockey team from Vancouver that is called the Canucks (click on it to go to their homepage if you don't believe me).
After some discussion, we realized that I, along with many other Americans, had come to think of Canuck as demeaning for two reasons: The first is obvious. It is offensive because of what it refers to - Canadians. What if someone called me a Canuck? Of course I'd be offended, downright pissed off, but that's because I'm not a fucking Canadian. Canadians, however, are Canadians. They are not ashamed so Canuck works for them.
The second reason Americans think Canuck might be offensive is because of its usual context. How often do we hear things such as: Those stupid Canucks need to get their own culture or How many damn Canucks does it take to screw in a light bulb or Celine Dion is a Canuck. Canuck by itself is not an offensive term. The only thing offensive about calling someone a Canuck is those adjectives that we usually put in front of it when talking about them. Next time instead of calling a Canadian a dirty Canuck or a good-for-nothing Canuck, just try Canuck by itself. You'll see how unoffensive it really is to them. And, if you're lucky, you just might make a new friend with access to OTC codeine.
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