[Otto Krueger]

"Amis" is not always a derogatory term.

Agreed. It can be the equivalent of Yanks. In this case, I think it was intended in a derogatory fashion, but I could be wrong.

[rock58seg]

Amis is a phonetic spelling af armee. I derives from our troops being stationed there. The Question, "Sind Sie in Die Americanisher Armee?" Received the answer, "Ja ich bin Armee." Since almost all Americans the Germans met were in the Army, a slang shorthand grew in which all Americans were "Amis." Being of German descent myself, It never occured to me to think it any more derogatory than us calling them Dutchmen.

Anything can be an epithet when we try hard enough. So, "smile when you say that pardner!"

[McGavin999]

Did all the Germans with a sense of humor immigrate to the US? I have a number of German friends and they have a delightful sense of humor. The people reflected in these articles just don't seem to get it.

[antiRepublicrat]

Agreed. It can be the equivalent of Yanks. In this case, I think it was intended in a derogatory fashion, but I could be wrong.

I think you're right, but I don't like generalizations. The Americans here who don't know may wrongly think they're being insulted some day during a visit to Germany.

[Prodigal Son]

Agreed. It can be the equivalent of Yanks.

Or the equivalent of Brits. It is a shortened version of a longer word- not a made up word to be used as an epithet. Many long versions of words in German are shortened (which you surely know) because they are unwieldy to use in their long form. Hence words that everybody knows like Gestapo, Nazi (both shortened versions for longer words). The Germans do this a lot and Ami is one example of that.