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From: prl@ethz.UUCP (Peter Lamb)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.nlang
Subject: Re: One for our side
Message-ID: <259@ethz.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Dec-85 09:55:12 EST
Article-I.D.: ethz.259
Posted: Wed Dec  4 09:55:12 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 04:07:23 EST
References: <973@decwrl.UUCP> <12580@rochester.UUCP>
Reply-To: prl@ethz.UUCP (Peter Lamb)
Organization: CS Department, ETH Zuerich, Switzerland
Lines: 19
Keywords: try a dictionary....
Xref: watmath net.politics:12349 net.nlang:3857

<Re: Earlier discussion about the origins of 'gringo' and 'yankee'>
Re the etymological theories regarding 'gringo', looked in
the Shorter OED & the Concise OED, which both have the word
and an etymology, and they claim that 'gringo' is a Spanish word meaning
'gibberish'. I would like to say that this confirms speculation on the net
about American English, but unfortunately the definition they give includes
*all* English speakers.

This definition, of course, does not necessarily contradict the
'Green grow the rushes, O' theory, I've never really understood
the song either :-)

Please do _not_ mail me explanations of Green Grow the Rushes,
nor flame me about the OED editors (lack) of knowlege of either
Spanish or etymology.

Peter Lamb	(...mcvax!cernvax!ethz!prl)
ETH Zurich
Switzerland