Spig

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An offensive ethnic slur used to demean a person of Italian or Hispanic descent
2. A derogatory term directed at people of Italian or Latin American origin that is considered highly insulting
3. Pejorative slang that refers insultingly to someone of Italian or Hispanic heritage

Etymology: "Spig" is a derogatory term for Italians and Italian Americans. It is most likely a clipping of "spaghetti," with the pasta standing in for the people who ate it, which places it among ethnic slurs built on food. Its exact origin and first recorded use are uncertain, so this explanation should be read as the most probable one rather than a settled fact. Like other slurs of its kind, it was used to mark immigrants as outsiders through a supposedly foreign habit or word. Because it is an insult with no neutral meaning, it is not a word to use casually, and its history matters mainly for understanding how such terms work.

Synonyms: peg, spigot