Received this information from a list and am curious what anyone knows about this. Also, how was the song Yankee Doodle used at Saratoga? Were the words, as known today, used then? This is the information I was given: The name Yankee, as it applies to people of the north, is derived from the phrase John Cheese, pronounced with a German accent Yon Kees. this was a derrogatory term directed at German American Dairy farmers bringing their cheeses and other dairy products to Market. Ruth Ann Messick Saratoga Springs, NY [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]