From Guinea to Ginzo?

[Boatti, Stephen]

As an Italian-American, I believe ginzo is merely an elaboration of guinea.
Guinea, as expressed in earlier posts, was not created by Italians but
imposed on them. They are both offensive, but ginzo seems a bit more
jocular.

By the way, what about "guido?" Italian-Americans use it  to disparage
especially low-class members of their own group ["he's a real guido"], but I
know non-Italians use it as well. "Guido" happens to be a fairly common
Italian first name, corresponding to "Guy."


Steve

 -----Original Message-----
From:   James Smith [mailto:jsmithjamessmith at YAHOO.COM]
Sent:   Wednesday, February 14, 2001 11:18 AM
To:     ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject:        Re: From Guinea to Ginzo?

--- "Douglas G. Wilson" <douglas at NB.NET> wrote:
> >Possibly derived from 'gonzo', Italian for: NOODLE;
> >LOOPY; DUPE; NINNY; NODDY; NINCOMPOOP; MUG.
>
> ...But I think "ginzo" is older than "gonzo", in
> English?...

> -- Doug Wilson

They both could have come from the same Italian word,
'gonzo' entering English directly and ginzo'
transformed by English speakers who misunderstood the
Italian, or deliberately mispronounced it to increase
the effect.  Did 'ginzo' originate as a self-reference
among Italian-Americans, or did it originate with
non-Italian speaking Americans to designate 'those
Eye-talian people'?



=====
James D. SMITH                 |If history teaches anything
SLC, UT                        |it is that we will be sued
jsmithjamessmith at yahoo.com     |whether we act quickly and decisively
                               |or slowly and cautiously.

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