# 1) Do you think "guido" is a racial slur? 2) Would you ever use it in earshot of your boss? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2011, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896 "2011-12-20T22:49:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896/41 "2011-12-24T13:48:21Z")
I grew up somewhat north of Philly on the Jersey/PA boarder. It was used all the time by people of Italian descent - they often called each other a guido, and I never gave it much thought. Years later I used the term without thinking and saw a look of surprise and offense and I copped a clue. I no longer use the term. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896/42 "2011-12-24T14:08:13Z")
Is it pronounced “ghee-doe” or “guy-doe” or “gwee-doe”? It doesn’t get used much around here and I suspect most people who heard it wouldn’t know what the heck it is. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896/43 "2011-12-24T14:42:20Z")
I work with a guy who is a stereo typical italiano. Loud doesn’t even cover how loud he is. He is a great guy. He calls himself a stupid guido. My job is to keep track stuff we are waiting for to come in so we can ship it out. I couldn’t decide if : PNI ( Parts Not IN) or WOP (Waiting on parts) would be better. Wop one out by a landslide. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896/44 "2011-12-24T16:22:05Z")
> [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#): > > Is it pronounced “ghee-doe” or “guy-doe” or “gwee-doe”? It doesn’t get used much around here and I suspect most people who heard it wouldn’t know what the heck it is. Gwee-doe. I suspect most people in the pre-Gen-X generation have rarely even heard the terms “wop,” “dago,” or “guinea,” especially if they’re not from areas like Chicago or New York/New Jersey. Add to that list “guido-not-in-terms-of-Jersey-Shore-types.” So considering my husband grew up in the 70s and 80s, I wouldn’t say “guido” outside of someone’s given name around someone middle-aged here in the Chicago area; I’d probably go with “Jersey Shore-type” first. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896/45 "2011-12-24T18:13:07Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#): > > This is the same argument as “Not all black people are niggers.” > > But what do you expect in a world where the world’s most popular video game has enemies called “goombas”? I half expect to find kikes and chinks in the next version. It isn’t the same thing. Guidos are a sub-culture that has a lot of Italian-American representation but, as several us mentioned, you don’t have to be Italian-American to be a guido. Snooki is Chilean for example. No individual Italian person is assumed to be a guido either unless they demonstrate the traits and that usually take a lot of intentional work. That is how it is different than ‘nigger’. Some people assume all black people are niggers unless proven otherwise. Guidos are the opposite. They have to go through a lot of effort to become one. More analogous terms are redneck and gangsta. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896/46 "2011-12-24T18:27:06Z")
Wow, this is interesting. I think the only times I’ve heard the word used, it was meant to be a slur.\* \*I’ve never seen the Sopranos ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896/47 "2011-12-25T01:40:32Z")
It’s more slang than slur. It can be used as an insult, but that doesn’t make it a slur. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1-do-you-think-guido-is-a-racial-slur-2-would-you-ever-use-it-in-earshot-of-your-boss/606896.md?page=2)