As the United States is so large and comprised of so many various immigrants, people often refer to their heritage. Americans pride themselves on the "meting pot" culture, as it has always been a big part of the strength and adaptability of their country as a whole. So an American might say that they are Italian, Polish, Russian or Irish - they do not mean that they are those nationalities, this is usage within the context of America.

Hyphenated Americans tend to have cultures slightly different from mainstream American culture; habits and traditions brought over from the countries their family emmigrated from. Many retain the drinks, food, language, customs,and music of their heritage. They also tend to look like their cultural background...Italian, Irish, Indian, Polish etc... Some Europeans feel that they are aping the culture of European countries, but often they are just acting as they were brought up to act by their European born parents. Whether Irish-American, Russian-American, Italian-American etc...they all share some cultural characteristics with the countries their families left.It really is not such a big deal, all countries with heavy immigration do the same, such as Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand. Americans get the most flack for it though.

Tony Soprano (although fictional)is considered Italian/Italian-American when in America. He is an American first, but he is also from Jersey and is Italian American. Italian-American, his Hyphenated Americans group, is just a statement of his cultural background.
by gingernyc August 29, 2007
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Any group of people who the majority of the people of this group have not assimilated into Anglo American culture and traditions.
Anyone not of a background consisting entirely of...Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish, English, Scottish, Welsh, French, German, Dutch, Belgian, Swiss, or Austrian backgrounds who lives in the United States.
by Dan August 05, 2003
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the rubber gripping from a pen when used as an airtight connection between the base containing water and the arm of a smoking device.
The hyphen duphenator should be a snug fit inside the hole of the base and fit tightly around the outside of the smoking piece to ensure an airtight seal without the need for glue or tape.
by Kraftywitch June 20, 2019
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The grammar nazi of all grammar nazis. Will never let one typo or mispelling get away from humiliation and execution. The leader of all grammar nazis. The master of the grammar race
My budy isnt a grammar nazi. He's hyphen hitler. He hunts down missing commas and typos like jews in 1943. One slip of the finger and hes got the typo gestapo all over you.
by Bigfacevinny November 06, 2019
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The language of teenage white girls with an IQ below room temperature. This is when people end their sentences with a hyphen (a dash) or say the phrase "I-" by itself. This was popularized around the time "Sis I-" and "And I oop-" got attention. It is usually linked with VSCO girls, Gacha kids, Roblox Aesthetics, Twitter stans, and many other annoying types of people online. 9 times out of 10, the people who do this are usually sensitive, stan some sort of creator, idolize the LGBTQ+ community, are in the LGBTQ+ community itself, or are on the left-wing (Basically your average Twitter user). This quickly sparked memes making fun of this. One of the most popular examples is "Bitches be like 'I- I- You- Wow I-'." Along with memes, it has also started many Discord servers and communities against Hyphen Speak, some of which I am in myself.
Audrey: I-

Jason: I will tear you apart limb from limb if you continue doing that. You have been using hyphen speak for the last year and everyone hates you for it. This is why you have no friends, your family doesn't love you, and why you can't find a job. Stop pretending like you're stuttering online. It's annoying and unnecessary.
Audrey: OMG I can not believe you said that- like-
by Sclaraidus June 26, 2021
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"De-hyphenation" or, more accurately, “de hyphenation” is the act of detoxification after a night of heavy consumption of Hyphy Juice. In its purest form, de hyphenation consists of consuming large quantities of Taco Bell cheesy bean burritos. This terminology is rumored to have been popularized by the nocturnal activities of several Vanderbilt University Law students who have close ties to the Yay Area underground hip hop movement. Use of the phraseology has been adopted on the west side and is becoming increasingly popular as a description of the activities in which hip hoppers and law students engage after getting NorCal crunk oh Hyphy Juice and ghostriding the whip. In print, the removal of the hyphen from "De-hyphenation" is a contribution inspired by a particularly clever Vanderbilt Law student; it is intended to symbolize the absorption of Hyphy Juice by the cheesy bean burritos and the removal of the intoxicating effects of a drinker's prior consumption.
Niggas got 18 Dummy so early on that they had to hit up The Bell, beast seventeen cheesy beans and go through some serious de-hyphenation before hittin' the club.
by Baby Bear September 23, 2006
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Fellatio performed on a small penis.
When asked about giving a hyphen siphon to the Asian guy, she said it was like drinking wasabi through a straw.
by David B Weingarten September 25, 2011
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