Gringo (Slang)

GRINGO (Idioms)

Generally speaking, gringo is a word that Spanish-speaking people use to refer to non-Spanish-speaking people, especially ones of European descent (and sometimes especially for such people hailing from the U.S.). It may--though this is disputed--derive from the word griego, meaning "Greek" (a word used in expressions similar to the English "It's Greek to me," meaning incomprehensible language or "gibberish"). While usually not intended as such by Spanish speakers, many "gringos" find the word insulting, and even consider it a racial slur.

Because the origin is somewhat uncertain, many folk etymologies have arisen. One says that the word comes from Mexicans hearing American soldiers sing, "Green Grow the Lilacs" (or "Grass") during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), but the word seems to have appeared in a dictionary printed in Spain around 1787, so this is impossible.

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(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)