Mexican Spanish Archives – A Way with Words

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Currently viewing the tag: "Mexican Spanish"

“Moco” as An Affectionate Term for a Child

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 17, 2021 · Add Comment

The Spanish word moco, or “mucus,” can be applied affectionately to a child, much like speakers of English may refer to a youngster as a little booger. In some dialects, moco has a more pejorative sense, suggesting a child is more along the lines of a snot-nosed brat. This is part of a complete episode.

Origin of Gringo

Posted by Grant Barrett on April 2, 2016 · Add Comment

A sixth-grade teacher in San Antonio, Texas, is skeptical about a story that gringo derives from a song lyric. He’s right. The most likely source of this word is the Spanish word for “Greek,” griego, a term applied to foreigners much the same way that English speakers might say that an unintelligible language is Greek [...]

Etymology of Gringo

Posted by Grant Barrett on October 24, 2009 · Add Comment

Theories about how Latin Americans came to use the term gringo as a disparaging word for foreigners. We can easily rule out the one about the song “Green Grow the Lilacs,” but what about the rest? This is part of a complete episode.

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“Moco” as An Affectionate Term for a Child

Origin of Gringo

Etymology of Gringo