# racial slur: Wop

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur-wop/147440>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 9, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur-wop/147440 "2003-01-09T03:13:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mister\_me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@mister\_me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_me)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur-wop/147440/1 "2003-01-09T03:13:53Z")

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Among the several racial slurs that I’ve heard in my life, one that I’m unsure of the origin is ‘wop’ for Italian.

I’ve heard that the term ‘day-go’ originated from the fact that the majority of Italian immigrants were day-laborers, but,…  
Does anyone know the dope on ‘wop’?

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**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur-wop/147440/2 "2003-01-09T03:26:14Z")

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From the [Racial Slur Database](http://rsdb.fuck.org/)

> [@](#):
>
> High class Italian. Stands for “With Out Papers.” Started when there was a big Italian emigration to the U.S., and many were coming in illegally (with out papers). Also could mean “Working On Pavement”, because many of them would do that as a job when they arrived in the US.
> 
> Addition: many nationalities came in with out passports. This word comes from the Italian word “Guappo” (pronounced Whapo), meaning handsome. Italian men, with their dark, good looks came into a city that noticed this, and adopted the term to refer to the Italian men. As proof of this, ask people how to spell the word Wop, and more than 50% will spell it WHOP (with a “W”). That is becuase they are spelling it as the sound alike for “Guappo”.

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**Author:** ![Agback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/977dab/32.png) [@Agback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agback)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur-wop/147440/3 "2003-01-09T03:42:16Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by mister\_me \*  
> **I’ve heard that the term ‘day-go’ originated from the fact that the majority of Italian immigrants were day-laborers, but,…**

Long before there was a USA for Italians to migrate to, ‘dago’ was English slang for the Spanish. It is derived from the Spanish battle-cry “Santiago!”, which in turn is derived from the name of the patron saint of Spain, Sant’ Iago (St James).

Regards,  
Agback

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur-wop/147440/4 "2003-01-09T04:00:03Z")

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**asto’s** site is pure crap.

There is no evidence that their is any association with “wop” being an acronym.

The “guappo” info isn’t even right. Make sure you don’t bookmark that site.

Use [http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorw.htm#wop](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorw.htm#wop)

or [http://www.word-detective.com/052699.html#wop](http://www.word-detective.com/052699.html#wop)

Either of these sites will give you much more reliable info.

And, **Agback** , while he/she means well, has it incorrect(probably) as concerns “dago.”. No Santiago. Rather Diego.

Try [http://www.wordorigins.org/wordord.htm#Dago](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordord.htm#Dago)

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**Author:** ![gonzalo\_de\_cordoba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/848f3c/32.png) [@gonzalo\_de\_cordoba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzalo_de_cordoba)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur-wop/147440/5 "2003-01-09T04:27:46Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> And, Agback, while he/she means well, has it incorrect(probably) as concerns “dago.”. No Santiago. Rather Diego.

Diego = Iago = Santiago = San Diego = St. James

It’s all the same.

Just trust me on this one, OK?

Y’all can go to hell, I’m goin’ to Texas.

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**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racial-slur-wop/147440/6 "2003-01-09T04:45:53Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by gonzalo de cordoba \*  
> \*\*Y’all can go to hell, I’m goin’ to Texas. \*\*

Davy Crockett, 1835 😃