[WikiEN-l] Re: Lists which are sheer nonsense

[Jimmy Wales]

Sheldon Rampton wrote:
> I've been wanting to avoid wading into this discussion, but the term 
> "Americans" does have a double meaning, and its usage as a reference 
> solely to U.S. citizens  rankles with some people from Canada, Mexico 
> and other parts of North and South America who also consider 
> themselves "American" as well.

As far as I have been able to determine, though, "American" is often
used by Canadian, British, and Australian newspapers to refer solely
to the United States.

We should be highly sensitive to word usages that are not universal,
particularly if there's a double meaning that's offensive to some.

In making decisions like this, we shouldn't just go on a vague "urban
legend" that some people might be offended.  Are there authorities
(style guides, for example) which recommend against the usage?

--Jimbo