Why "Ameritrash"?

There are derogatory terms for both types of games. You left the term "Eurotrash" out of your OP.
The term "Ameritrash" was coined by Eurogame enthusiasts, but embraced by Ameritrash fans. That's why it's usage is more common than the counter. I think that is due to the fact that the typical Ameritrash fan doesn't really care whether or not you like the games they play. They accept the ridicule as a badge of honor. (with no "u")
Eurogamers tend to disregard any notion that their preferred games are not superior in every way. It's a cultural difference.
I know I'm in the minority, but I appreciate both styles. I have played, and loved 18xx games for almost 20 years, now. The idea that every single event in the game is determined by the players is intriguing. That said, one of my all-time favorite games is Risk. The quintessential Ameritrash dicefest. There's no accounting for taste, I guess.

I'm not too partial to the term either. It's very wrong on too levels. Firstly, several of the most quintessentially Ameritrashy games aren't actually American. Titan, for instance, is British, I think. Secondly, it's fairly derogatory to an entire genre. Thirdly, it's not as cut-and-dried (tangent: does anybody know where that term comes from?) as two simple genres. Mare Nostrum is a euro with a ton of pieces, a playtime of several hours, and (if I remember from the one game I played of it several years ago at a convention) a moderate amount of dice-rolling. This continuum also leaves abstract strategy completely out of the picture. I prefer to rank games on a number of factors, including complexity, randomness, play-time, depth of strategy (different from complexity, you can write the rules of Go on a cocktail napkin,) immersiveness (theme,) and quantity of player-to-player interaction. I'm sure I could think of more.

Actually the term was coined by a BGG member who was a fan of that genre of games. He did it as a joke, in response to the general air of snobbishness that some people perceive from the Eurogamer culture on that site. Although that OP did mean it as a joke, naturally there were others who couldn't or wouldn't see it that way, and a flame war developed. When the dust had settled, "Ameritrash" had become a familiar and accepted term. In fact, there is a Web site called Fortress: Ameritrash that is devoted to discussing and promoting this kind of game.

Previous posters in this thread have argued that it's not only a derogatory term but an inappropriate categorization. The thing to remember here is that, like a lot of other human activities and products, games resist precise categorization. There are plenty of games that are mixes of the Eurogame and Ameritrash design styles, and plenty of games that mix those styles with other styles, and plenty that are altogether different. Exact lines can't be drawn, but fortunately it's not necessary to place every game neatly into one and only one category.

Whether or not the term is offensive is in the eye of the beholder. The purveyors of "Fortress: Ameritrash" have accepted the term and wear it proudly, while others agree with the OP of this thread and find the term distasteful. I also know someone who doesn't like the phrase "Board Game Geek" because he finds the term "Geek" offensive and inaccurate.

The bottom line, I think, is that we're stuck with both "Ameritrash" and "Board Game Geek". While they do offend some people, they are entrenched. I have seen several efforts made to abolish or replace them (e.g. "Ameritreasure"), but none have been successful.

"Yankee" was meant as an insult when the British first applied it to the American revolutionaries over 200 years ago. We still use it, and except for a few die-hard Southerners for whom it now has a different meaning, we wear it proudly.

My take on the subject is that the turms accuately describe the game styles. I think it's just best if we can laugh about it and not take it as a personal front on our tasts. I am finding the more I play eruo games is that I am tending not to enjoy them as much as some amerotrahy games I have played (mind you not a lot). I always like the theory of elegance and euro style games though. I like a balance betwen the two.

What if could simply call it Amerithrash instead of ameritrash. It certainly would sound more heavy metal - and it fits the genre specially when considering wargames.

v., thrashed, thrash·ing, thrash·es.

v.tr.

1. To beat with or as if with a flail, especially as a punishment. See synonyms at beat.
2. To swing or strike in a manner suggesting the action of a flail: The alligator thrashed its tail.
3. To defeat utterly; vanquish.
4. To thresh.
5. To sail (a boat) against opposing winds or tides.

v.intr.

1. To move wildly or violently: thrashed about all night.
2. To strike or flail.
3. To thresh.
4. To sail against opposing tides or winds.

n.

1. The act or an instance of thrashing.
2. Music. See speed metal.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/thrash

yes. I used to listen to that.... lol

Valkyrie Profile is a console game, not a boardgame.

I want to use this oportunity to say that the worst thing for me in playing games is when the rules are ambiguous about things. I have this really cool looking game called Tomb and I have passed up starting a game session with it because after set-up I just couldn't figure out what to do with the characters that you recrute in the inn. It made me so mad to purchase this really cool looking game and the rules just don't make clear what you do with these chits. It just sais: "put the character in the inn" leaving so many unresolved game play questions. This brings up an excelent example of making sure your rules are squeeky clearn.