gringo

(derives from spanish griego, greek) Derogatory term for people from the United States. In Chile it refers to someone from the capital city, very similar to the mexican word chilango. Originally it aplied to any foreigner, as time passes it came to be a cruel synonym of yankee. Many people think that the word began during the Mexican revolition referring to the green uniform of the U. S. Marines, and mexicans yelled: "Green, go", but that is not the case, the word appeared much earlier in eighteenth century latin american and spanish literature. Its use is not exclusive to Mexicans, Now it is widely used by latin americans in general and even by europeans. Contemporary U. S. politics have brought this word to greater relevance, as the anti-gringo feeling has spread throughout the world.