What is a gringo?

Question

I keep hearing that word. I heard it on Yahoo Answers and then I was watching 30 days and I heard it on there.

Answer 1

Gringo (feminine, gringa) is a term in the Spanish and Portuguese languages used to refer to white foreigners, especially those from the United States. The American Heritage Dictionary classifies the term as offensive slang [1], though some who use it do not consider it pejorative.

In informal Spanish speech, "gringo" offers a convenient shorthand to refer to a white person from the U.S., since the term "American" is used to refer to anyone from the entire American continent (North, Central and South), while the more specific term "estadounidense" ("United Statian") is cumbersome to pronounce.

"Gringo" is rarely used to refer to people from the U.S. of Asian, Native American, African American or Latin American origin and its usage is reserved almost exclusively to U.S. residents of white descent. The term does lend itself to derogatory, paternalistic or endearing connotations, depending on the context and the intent of the user. In contrast, the term "yanqui" ("Yankee") is used almost exclusively in a derogatory way, to refer to any U.S. citizen, even those from the American South.

In some regions of Argentina, Paraguay and nearby areas, "Gringo" is used to refer to anyone of blonde hair and/or light skin color, regardless of their origin. It is not a pejorative term. It is also used (jokingly) as a nickname for people who are dark skinned. Another word for gringo is Polaco (Polish).

Answer 2

I think some people are just wrong, the word "gringo" is not offensive! That's the way latin americans call US citizens, specially when they look white and blond.
One of the stories of the origins of this word, is when militaries came to a country, in times of war, they wrote on the walls "GREEN GO HOME", so for spanish speaking people it read like "gringo home" That's it!

Answer 3

As a Mexican American, I grew up hearing the term, Gringo,all my life. When you grow up in poverty and racism like I did, the word Gringo goes around, to hit back at those that think they are better than you. I grew up in a very poor family without any plumbing, and you see some white people looking down on you and this very hard to take. Poverty at times can make you resentful and this is not good. I am going to college for my BA in journalism, so I can feel good about myself and be proud of my Mexican heritage at the same time.

Answer 4

The word gringo is an offensive term in Latin America for a foreigner, particularly an American or English person

Answer 5

"Gringo" is a slang, which was used as a disparaging term for a foreigner in Latin America, especially an American or English person.

In Latin America the word gringo is an offensive term for a foreigner, particularly an American or English person.

But the word existed in Spanish before this particular sense came into being. In fact, gringo may be an alteration of the word griego, the Spanish development of Latin Graecus, “Greek”. Griego first meant “Greek, Grecian,” as an adjective and “Greek, Greek language,” as a noun. The saying “It's Greek to me” exists in Spanish, as it does in English, and helps us understand why griego came to mean “unintelligible language” and perhaps, by further extension of this idea, “stranger, that is, one who speaks a foreign language.” The altered form gringo lost touch with Greek but has the senses “unintelligible language,” “foreigner, especially an English person,” and in Latin America, “North American or Britisher.” Its first recorded English use (1849) is in John Woodhouse Audubon's Western Journal: “We were hooted and shouted at as we passed through, and called ‘Gringoes".

Answer 6

Gringo (feminine, gringa) is a term in the Spanish and Portuguese languages used to refer to white foreigners, especially those from the United States

Answer 7

We use gringo to refer to an american person.

But is not a bad word or mean word, i dont know why some people are saying that.

Of course if i say stupid gringo well thats offensive, but the word gringo is not offensive.

Answer 8

Gringo does refer to the a white person from the U.S. It is said that the famous Pancho Villa gave the Americans this nickname, from when the American soldiers, wearing green uniforms, would be commanded "green, go!" by their sergeants to go after him....

It's not an offense (or at least not meant that way). Of course, unless preceeded or followed by a derrogatory term like "pinche, estupido"

Answer 9

Gringo is a term Hispanics use to indicate white people.

Answer 10

Gringo is how people in Latin America call Americans. "Gringo" for males and "Gringa" for females. It's not offensive at all. My husband is American and sometimes I call him "mi gringo" as a term of endearment. So, gringo or gringa = American.