English

Noun

dago ‎(plural dagoes or dagos)

1. (Britain, slang, offensive, ethnic slur) A person of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, or other Mediterranean descent.
   • 1933, George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London, Chapter XXVIII,

     And all foreigners to him were "dem bloody dagoes"—for, according to his theory, foreigners were responsible for unemployment.

2. (US, Australia, slang, offensive, ethnic slur) A person of Italian descent.

Derived terms

• dago dazzler
• dago red

Usage notes

• The sense is still extremely offensive in the United States. It has become less pejorative among certain groups reclaiming the term in recent years, with people of Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese origin themselves adopting the term. In the Upper Midwest region of the United States, the term is used for several Italian-inspired food items with no apparent pejorative connotation.
• Usually a sailor or deckhand. "Diego" is the Portuguese nickname for any deckhand and "jack" is the British equivalent.
• The Hill in St. Louis, an Italian-American enclave, is often referred to colloquially as "Dago Hill."

Translations

Synonyms

• (person of Italian descent): Eyetie
• (person of Italian descent): goombah
• (person of Italian descent): greaseball
• (person of Italian descent): guido
• (person of Italian descent): guinea
• (person of Italian descent): wog
• (person of Italian descent): wop

Anagrams

• goad