Gabacho

In the Spanish language, the word gabacho (F gabacha) describes foreigners of different national origins in the history of Spain. The word gabacho originated in Peninsular Spain as a derogatory term for French people and things, and in contemporary usage the term retains the initial meaning. However, in other Hispanophone countries, the word gabacho acquired a meaning similar to the word guiri (a slur for light featured foreign tourists, especially those from northwest Europe) in Spain. In some Hispanophone countries of Latin America, the word gabacho is akin to gringo and refers to people and things from the United States. When the definite article el is used, as in the phrase "el gabacho" it refers to the country. In Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador gabacho is a deprecatory reference for someone from the U.S. In Mexico, el gabacho also identifies the U.S. as a place: "Voy para el gabacho" (I’m going to the U.S.). Moreover, in the Central American varieties of Spanish, the word gabacho refers to certain types of work-coats, such as the laboratory coat of a doctor, the smock of a kindergarten student, and a ceremonial vest worn in school-graduation ceremonies.