From Guinea to Ginzo?

[Laurence Horn]

At 2:39 AM -0500 2/12/01, Bruce Dykes wrote:
>
>After reading several of the Guinea posts, 'ginzo' was jogged in my memory,
>meaning just the same thing, and possibly a descendant.
>
>I did a Google search to be sure, and the following popped up from Barleby's
>(bartleby.com):
>----------------------
>The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.
>2000.
>
>ginzo
>
>SYLLABICATION: gin·zo
>PRONUNCIATION:   gn´z
>
>NOUN : Offensive Slang Inflected forms: pl. -zoes
>Used as a disparaging term for a person of Italian birth or descent.
>
>ETYMOLOGY: Origin unknown.

No relation to "ginzu knife", I don't suppose