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literature - what does this quote mean? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by yool_ooloo@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

9 comments fedilink hide all child comments

"He had the handsomest wop kisser I ever saw" -Jean Genet "Thief's Journal" p.185

What does wop kisser mean?

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[–] naharin@feddit.nu 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

wop, noun, often capitalized offensive — used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a person of Italian birth or descent

Etymology Italian dialect guappo swaggerer, tough, from Spanish guapo, probably from Middle French dialect vape, wape weak, insipid, from Latin vappa wine gone flat

[–] Afghaniscran@feddit.uk 8 points 1 year ago (4 children)

If I'm not mistaken it was originally to describe Italian immigrants during whatever period of time (world war 1 maybe?) and it was a acronym for Without Papers. As in not having a visa.

I could be mistaken though, I read that once from one source so not really done any due diligence.

[–] MONKEYHOG@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

You are mistaken, that is a myth.

[–] amio@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

Sounds like folk etymology. Like how "fuck" is supposedly an abbreviation for whatever-the-hell but it's just... not.

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

There was no such thing as a visa during that time. Immigration documents did not really exist until 1924 and the slur was already in use by then.

[–] naharin@feddit.nu 2 points 1 year ago

Interesting, I just got this from Merriam-Webster.

[–] Mothra@mander.xyz 4 points 1 year ago

This is very interesting considering guapo is used as synonym for handsome in Spanish across the globe in this day and age