American capital cities means US cities, (to an American). I'm not sure about JetPunkers from other countries. In my opinion it would be less misleading to say North American capital cities.
Unless you read it to mean the State capitals, which isn't unreasonable at all. Can we all just admit that the demonym 'American' can mean either, and appreciate that QM threw us a curve ball? I think it made the quiz more fun that after unsuccessfully trying to make Portland a capital city, I had to reevaluate the clue.
Except that "American capital cities" could refer to state capitals. Yes, I realize Quizmaster previously used "U.S. state capitals" in this same quiz, but the point stands; one shouldn't have to decipher one clue by referencing others.
It always irks me when America and the USA are used interchangeably. To me, America is the whole of North and South America. I may be in a minority (in the UK at least; I understand [heavily caveated] in Spanish-speaking countries, America generally means South/Latin America)
Some South Americans use "American" to refer to things of the Americas (much moreso recently), but if they're started using it to refer to South America to the exclusion of North America or to refer to Latin America exclusively then that's newer still and I've never seen that usage.
"American" for hundreds of years has been used as a demonym or adjective referring to things from the United States of America. It is not problematic or confusing, it's definitely not a usage unique to Americans (residents of the USA), it's just common usage that clearly expresses an idea and this is how language works. It hasn't irked anyone until recently and there's no reason for it to start bothering anyone now. American ≠ North American ≠ South American. If you want to say something you would find in either North or South America, just say "of the Americas." It's not hard, and it will make you a more effective communicator as what you say will be clear. You all are deliberately trying to make language more confusing to suit your own prejudices.
Well historically America is the continent and Nothing else.
Then were the United States of América and then they used American as if there was only one country.
However, the logic wants us to say American whatever to what refers to the continent (or both continents if you don't use the geological definition) and US something when it refers to the country.
Only US citizens don't see it like that but the etymology and the need to be less confused do.
It's not a national capital though, Greenland is part of Denmark. (And yes, I'm aware that the quiz says "European capitals" and not "European national capitals"...)
Technically, Napoleon stole German areas, the Germans took them back in 1871. Nobody there spoke French. Look at the architecture, the city names: Metz, Strasburg, Kolmar, Mulhouse. The French may have changed the spellings of place names but they still don't sound French.
Technically, India and Nepal aren't the only Hindu majority countries. Mauritius is also a Hindu-majority country with Hindu population over 50%, mainly due to the importation of Indian laborers during the British Rule.
Also, I live in India and know that many regional languages of India such as Bengali, Tamil, Punjabi, etc are also recognized as official languages. Although English and Hindi are mainly used for government use, I suggest that it would be better to specify.
Capitals are not geographical features. The North Atlantic Shelf goes through Iceland and Reykjavik is on the North America side so following geographic reasoning it doesn't qualify either. Politically the two islands are generally regarded as European.
I think questions like "Most populous cities in Spain starting with B" and "Tallest mountains in Africa" are bad questions for this type of quiz, because these are not natural groups of two. You could have the same questions in a groups of three quiz, a groups of four quiz, and so on.
Then were the United States of América and then they used American as if there was only one country.
However, the logic wants us to say American whatever to what refers to the continent (or both continents if you don't use the geological definition) and US something when it refers to the country.
Only US citizens don't see it like that but the etymology and the need to be less confused do.
About Lorraine, just one third in the North known as Moselle was annexed by Germany. Most of Lorraine remained French
Also, I live in India and know that many regional languages of India such as Bengali, Tamil, Punjabi, etc are also recognized as official languages. Although English and Hindi are mainly used for government use, I suggest that it would be better to specify.
Also Turkey is European country and Ankara is more farther then Athens.