Gringo (1839)

[Wilson Gray]

I was once chatting with an African-American acquaintance from
Honduras and used the phrase, "norte-americano negro." He corrected
this sneeringly to "_gringo_ negro." I'd long wondered whether
"gringo" was reserved for white Anglos or whether it could also be
used to refer to black Anglos. That answered my question, at least
with respect to the practice of African-American Hondureños.

-Wilson

On 12/21/06, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Gringo (1839)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I don't have America's Historical Newspapers or 19th Century U.S. =20
> Newspapers. Any "gringo"?
> ...
> ...
> _http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/gringo/_=20
> (http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/gringo/)=20
> ...
> (Oxford English Dictionary)=20
> Gringo=20
> [Mexican Sp.] Among  Spanish Americans, a contemptuous name for an Englishma=
> n=20
> or an Anglo-American.  Also attrib.=20
> 1849 J. W. AUDUBON Western Jrnl. (1906) 13 June 100 We  were hooted and=20
> shouted at as we passed through, and called =E2=80=98Gringoes=E2=80=99. 1871=
>   Republican Rev.=20
> (Albuquerque, N.M.) 14 Jan. 2/2 Three Mexicans from  Socorro..calling her a=20=
> gringo=20
> bitch, finally threw her on the body of her  husband.=20
>
> August 1839, Southern Literary Messenger, =E2=80=9CA Journey  Across the And=
> es=E2=80=9D by=20
> W. B. H., pg. 514:=20
> My colleague had previously arranged  that this challenge should be answered=
> =20
> by the officer of our boat, whose  Gringo accent would prove that he was not=
>  a=20
> Chilian.=20
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
-Sam'l Clemens

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org