guinea

To be sure, guinea is a pejorative, racist term for a person of Italian descent. I'm just surprised no one has hit upon my understanding of the word's origin, and therefore, correct shade of meaning. I don't know for certain, but I'd be willing to bet on the guinea fowl, which is: - a traditional favorite of Italian chefs - therefore, like its chicken cousins, often raised at the chef's home in a backyard pen, even as late as the mid 20th century - a visually striking animal, described by my wife the first time she ever saw them as "Alice in Wonderland birds." - prone to a God-awful racket when so much as gazed at crossly - capable of frightening young children and the elderly