The meaning of the word Guiri
 

Open to much ill-informed debate, but it's an insult that Spanish use for us, much like we use 'Dego' or 'Spick'. Basically it means 'effing tourist', although not the literal translation.

There will now be many resonses from expats saying that I'm wrong and it is a term of endearment - the standard excuse used by many a Spaniard. Truth is, many, many Spaniards who use it don't see it as an insult, although there are a good many who know that it is. 'Cabron' and 'Hijo de Puta' are pretty standard swearing insults that can loosely be translated to 'B'stard' and 'cn*t' (or 'mother-kuffer' depending where you're from ;) ) and amongst friends, even in English, if we say this in the right way, ie non-threatening, jokey, it is not an insult. Yet it is known that we are using an insult in a friendly way. (Imagine: "Hey, you old b'stard, haven't seen you in ages")

The difference among Spanish who don't understand its meaning is that they don't understand that its origins are also from an insult that we may CHOOSE to use in a friendly way. These people assume it is friendly and legitimate from the start. It is not their fault, it has just never been explained.

The literal translation comes from old times. When a person who came to a village and spoke something different to Castellano, he was referred to as speaking 'Guirigay' - gibberish. It is to say that as this person was unable to speak Spanish, he was an idiot and worthy of contempt as such. Thus as speaker of guirigay became a guiri.

PS check out your dictionary and it will tell you it refers to 'tourist' but it also warns that it is offensive.

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

and all this because someone asked what a guiri was :blink::)

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

You want something explained? Then there it is. You will no doubt find many expats on here have been happy to hear themselves referred to as guiris on the erroneous belief it is harmless. Much in the way we thought it was fine to say Wog or have Gollywog dolls in the 70s.

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

Not quite the same in reality though, is it? I think it's closer to the British use of the term Yank for American, often when they're rich tourists or businessmen, and yes it can be meant as an insult, but not always. My memory may be fading, but the use of the word "wog" in the 70s was always meant as an insult or in a sneering down at recent immigrants. The odd tv program like "Love thy Neighbour" would use this word, but I don't think anyone outside of the likes of Bernard Manning would think it was fine to use with colleagues or friends who were immigrants. As stated above, it's viewed as acceptable in the right context and amongst friends to use this term guiri in Spain. I don't know any other "guiri" who gets offended if they hear this term. Amused, maybe.

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

Go back to my original point. 'Cabron' etc..... stems from an insult which when used with different intonation among friends is seen as harmless and not in any way offensive. But its origin is clear - it is an insult. Too many use the word 'guiri' not knowing it has an origin in insult, and see it as just a harmless term of endearment. This is not true, and while I know may expats who, whilst knowing the difference, simply accept it, they are doing themselves a disservice as there will be times when a stranger will address you in full knowledge of what they are saying and in what they are implying, no enearment involved at all. And given your Madrid experience, I though this would have been made abundantly clear

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

Well it's a bit like being called a Pom by the Ozzies. If it's meant in good spirit, I'm not too bothered about the origin. Sorry, but I don't see it as the same as the word "wog" - where I was in the 70s it was always used as an insult. There again, there are Spanish words like chulo and chaval I'd never use myself, as the meaning can so easily be mis-construed.

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

:) Hasnt this long gone of thread ????

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

I side with steviedeluxe with this one. All depends on the spirit the word is used. Many times it is used as an insult, but I've also heard things like "A guiri like him will have a better chance with the girls..." Hardly insulting :)

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

..and what is wrong with chulo and chaval? I use these all the time. Even the old women in the village call me chaval :)

Que chulo = how cool/neat
chavel = a young lad

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

Well, I've been told that chaval can be a bit demeaning. But chulo definitely has different meanings depending on context - especially in big cities. Perhaps someone here who's Spanish can expand...

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

Chulo = pimp.
Que Chulo = Bad ass

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

Chaval-a is OK to use,

But be careful with chulo, to say it is chulo = cool, neat as you say, but to call someone chulo, is saying pimp or ducker and diver.

JLFS

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

A Western Oriental Gent sounds harmless enough until put into context. Although its meaning has long been known to be derogatory and inflamatory, it was widely used IN SPITE OF THIS, something that happens with Guiri.

You mention Chaval and Chulo - essentially harmeless, but I take your point.

Yet you seem to think Guiri ranks alongside Pom, Taff, Jock, Paddy, - all pretty much accepted as harmless but can be taken the wrong way. But where does that stop? Frog? Would your average Frenchman not see that to be referred to as Frog, no matter how nicely you put it, comes from an insult?

The word Guiri lies more with the latter than the former and sadly there are expats here - possibly unaware or misinformed - who seem to think it is endearing fun.

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

Point missed totally.

Please re-read (or for the first time) what went before. It is not open to interpretation. It is not an argument to side with. The word is pejorative. That cannot be argued. It's a bit like arguing if the sea is wet.

But then the word Wanker is pejorative, and many times I've called friends of mine (and vice versa) this word. This, as you say is using it in a friendly spirit. Yet you can't deny - and this is the whole bloody point - that it stems from a pejorative. Many Spaniards, and clearly expats, don't get this and use Guiri willy-nilly. Which means, you could find yourself in a situation where people you've never met before, apparently friendly enough are using this word to refer to you - including calling you by it - and just because your friends use it with you in a nice way, you automatically assume these new people are also using it nicely when in fact they are insulting you. With a word like wanker, which we know to be insulting, if your mates down the pub call you it, no problem, but if a total stranger came up and said it to you, you'd be annoyed and rightly so - because you don't need intonation to know the stranger just insulted you

Re: New person needs some help and advise!!
 

If you want to discuss this then kindly start your own thread, in fact I may split this as its gone far off topic and is not fair to the OP!