Zona

[Jonathan Lighter]

American natives of the Panama Canal Zone were also called "Zonies" by the '70s, according to HDAS files.

  JL

Gregory McNamee <gm at GREGORYMCNAMEE.COM> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Gregory McNamee
Subject: Re: Zona
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"Zonies" comes from San Diego-area surfer talk from the late '70s,
referring to Arizonans, me among them, who came there to surf. The
local turf-guarders--"surf Nazis," in the vernacular--meant it as an
insult, but we had no problem calling ourselves Zonies, so the effect
was muted. San Diegans in general now refer to Arizona visitors as
Zonies, and the usage now seems to have spread to Zona.

GM

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