Yankee Doodle went to township … Mm - hm , yeah .
Riding on a pony … Ok .
bind a feather in his cap and yell it macaroni … Wait . What ?
What ’s going on here ? Why would Yankee Doodle do something like that ? What ’s macaroni got to do with anything ?
The first bit of context you need for empathize the gumption of this bank line is that the Song dynasty “ Yankee Doodle ” was not always the majestic , loyal ditty we acknowledge today . It was originally sung by British soldier in burlesque of the fierce , unsophisticated , American colonials they had to contend alongside during the French and Indian War . The thrust of it was “ look at these preposterous chawbacon ! ”
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The second bit of circumstance has to do with what was go on back in England at the time . It had become a ritual of transit in the 18th century for young British military personnel of means to drop some metre on the European continent doing theGrand Tour , absorbing art , history , and terminology and becoming all - around civilised and sophisticated . When they regress , they brought back outlandish gamey - fashion clothes and mannerisms , and a discernment for alien Italian dishes like macaroni . As a grouping they were numerous and noticeable enough to get their own nickname . They were " macaroni . "
Yankee Doodle , blow chawbacon that he was , stress his best to simulate the belated expressive style , but only embarrassed himself in the attempt . Thinking himself a fashionable beau , he stuck a feathering in his cap and somehow think that was macaroni . That was so something adoodle(meaning motley fool or simpleton)dandywould do .
It twist out the countrified , ragtag Americans were n’t much insulted by this and start singing the song themselves . It had a tricky melodic phrase , and they were never out to win any best - dress awards anyway .
Not only did " Yankee Doodle " end up a staple of the American patriotic songbook , it gave us one of our most useful words , dude , which in the beginning meant slap-up and wasformed off ofdoodle . So like , yeah , feather , macaroni , call it what you need , dude . Yankee Doodle ’s cool with it .
