gabacho
gah-bah-chohnoun, adjective
Spanish & ChicanoStrongDifficulty 2 of 3: Regional
Definition
A white American, a gringo. Can be descriptive, tired, or hostile depending on the mouth it comes out of.
In simple English: A white American.
Examples
The gabachos at the next table asked what birria was.
Don’t get all gabacho about the spice. You ordered it.
Usage notes
In-group California Mexican and Chicano speech. Understand it first. Repeating it if it is not your language can sound like you are playing dress-up — or picking a fight. Using it of a person as a put-down is picking a side.
At a glance
- Track
- Spanish & Chicano
- Region
- Statewide
- Part of speech
- noun, adjective