American (USA)

[bobjenkins]

Originally Posted by Rusty

I had always heard that the word gringo came from 'green go', allegedly the simple sentence composed by a Mexican who wanted the men in their green uniforms to leave his country.
I have since learned that the etymology of the word gringo is griego, which was used in Spain long before it came across the Atlantic. The Spaniards used griego to mean a foreigner. In English, we apply the same word to foreign languages, and concepts, we don't know - "That's/It's Greek to me." But we don't use it to mean a foreigner.

Sí aprendí que se usa "green go" al Alamo. Los Mexicanos quieron que David bowie y sus amigos se vayan. Los Americanos llevaron ropas verdes, entonces Los Mexicanos gritaron, "green go!!"

[Tomisimo]

There have been a number of possible theories as to the origin of the term gringo, but they are theories. The etymology of the word is unknown.

[bobjenkins]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

There have been a number of possible theories as to the origin of the term gringo, but they are theories. The etymology of the word is unknown.

Sí, la gente siempre crean los mitos

[Ambarina]

Originally Posted by Elaina

gringo 1849, from Mex.Sp. gringo, contemptuous word for "foreigner," from Sp. gringo "foreign, unintelligible talk, gibberish," perhaps ult. from griego "Greek." The "Diccionario Castellano" (1787) says gringo was used in Malaga for "anyone who spoke Spanish badly," and in Madrid for "the Irish."


Asi que usando el último ejemplo en la definición aqui arriba, quizás le decían "gringo" a los americanos que estaban en México solo porque hablaban muy mal el Español.

hmmmmm

Interesting. No one uses the word "gringo" now to mean a foreigner. It is now understood as specific to someone from US.
The disrespectful word used now in Spain for foreigner is "guiri".

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by Elaina

gringo 1849, from Mex.Sp. gringo, contemptuous word for "foreigner," from Sp. gringo "foreign, unintelligible talk, gibberish," perhaps ult. from griego "Greek." The "Diccionario Castellano" (1787) says gringo was used in Malaga for "anyone who spoke Spanish badly," and in Madrid for "the Irish."


Asi que usando el último ejemplo en la definición aqui arriba, quizás le decían "gringo" a los americanos que estaban en México solo porque hablaban muy mal el Español.

hmmmmm

I believe that your explain more near of the meaning of the word Gringo, here in Mexico is named to a person gringo when the person does not speak very well the Spanish in out country, therefore it mean should to be more near to the reality.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by Ambarina

Interesting. No one uses the word "gringo" now to mean a foreigner. It is now understood as specific to someone from US.
The disrespectful word used now in Spain for foreigner is "guiri".

In Chile gringo is still used to indicate a foreigner (non hispanic) including Americans.

[brute]

Originally Posted by bobjenkins

Sí aprendí que se usa "green go" al Alamo. Los Mexicanos quieron que David bowie y sus amigos se vayan. Los Americanos llevaron ropas verdes, entonces Los Mexicanos gritaron, "green go!!"

Green grow the rushes o!:
This old campfire song also contains the words :
"2 to the lily-white boys cloth-ed all in green ho ho!

Lily-white refers to the pale skin of the Americans in their green uniforms. Two of the gringo theories appear in the same song! However I still prefer the griego theory

[Arielle]

I'm still a little confused. Is gringo a slang term used in a more condescending way to outsiders or is it solely for descriptive purposes of foreigners?

[Tomisimo]

Originally Posted by Arielle

I'm still a little confused. Is gringo a slang term used in a more condescending way to outsiders or is it solely for descriptive purposes of foreigners?

It can be both. But I think it's used more as a descriptive term when talking about Americans/foreigners.

[laepelba]

Just to stir the pot a little bit ... every once in a while, I will refer to myself (kiddingly) as a "gringo" in my classroom, and my hispanic students get a bit agitated, in a protective kind of way ... "Don't call yourself THAT, Miss A.!!" They pretty much try to convince me that I don't really know how bad it is what I just called myself....