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/ˈdeɪɡəʊ/ · noun
(obsolete, naval slang, often derogatory, originally US) A crewman who speaks Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian..
The man-of-war’s-man, in sporting his money in those places, fancies himself perfectly at home; and he that dares for a moment to interrupt or oppose him, be he Dago or shipmate, will inevitably meet with a rebuff for his uninvited and indecorous intrusion; but coincide with him, extol the merits and virtues of the turpentine gin with which he is inflating himself, and you are as welcome, and will meet with as spirited and hearty reception, as great a quantity of the “precious stuff,” more or no money, as though you were his revered and legitimate brother.
I interviewed his aid to know what the Dago's rank was (Sailors call everybody that speaks Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, Dagos)
JAMES, the Spaniard’s patron saint, has been compelled to lend his name as “Iago” to innumerable towns, cities and villages. From Mexico to Patagonia in Spanish America, “Santiago,” “San Diego,” “Iago” and “Diego” are such frequently recurring vocables that the Yankee sailor calls natives of these countries “Dago men,” or “Diegos.” It is his slang name for foreigners of the Latin race. It is a relic of the old days when he knew them chiefly as pirates.
He had that treacherous snarky look, characteristic of all these Mediterranean nations, known to Yankee sailors by the generic name of Dago. However, as long as he behaved, I used him well, but I didn't trust him.
“As you please. Now what is wrong? Are we sinking? Has she sprung a leak? Does the dago crew mean to mutiny and murder us in our bunks?” The major actually smiled. “How readily you leap to a conclusion, my dear boy! but I am happy to say that, as far as I know, the little vessel is staunch, and the dark-skinned sons of Italy comprising the crew have not the slightest intention of doing us the least injury.”
Detective J.J. McVea of the Charles street station, who arrested the boys, says that the robbery of the safe was a remarkable one and showed no trace of amateurism. It was committed by four boys. Besides Lyons and Murphy, he says, there were in it Albert Moquin, 14 years old, of 68 West Third street, and one whom Lyons calls “Oscar the Wop,” or “Oscar the Dago.”
When American troops are brigaded with the French, and fight side by side with the British, and realize that the line they hold is also held by the People of India, Portugal, Belgium, New Zealand, Australia and other countries they realize what brotherhood means. Can a true American ever again call an Italian a “Dago”? The resistance of the Italians is relieving the pressure on the western front, now intensified by the defection of Russia. The people of the world are neighbors on the battlefields of Europe. Should they not even more be “brothers in Christ”? Christians need to be reminded occasionally that one cannot be a true follower of Christ and not be friendly with peoples of other nations, no matter what their tongue or color or skin. Dubuque College by educating young men of thirty nations to be preachers of righteousness to their fellow countrymen is helping to demonstrate true democracy.
Oh, well, I didn’t really do anything this time. Just pulled the Dago out of the river. Like all Dagos, he couldn’t swim.
Use dago when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Dago means (obsolete, naval slang, often derogatory, originally US) A crewman who speaks Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian..
Common synonyms include Eyetie, goombah, greaseball, guido.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
The man-of-war’s-man, in sporting his money in those places, fancies himself perfectly at home; and he that dares for a moment to interrupt or oppose him, be he Dago or shipmate, will inevitably meet with a rebuff for his uninvited and indecorous intrusion; but coincide with him, extol the merits and virtues of the turpentine gin with which he is inflating himself, and you are as welcome, and will meet with as spirited and hearty reception, as great a quantity of the “precious stuff,” more or no money, as though you were his revered and legitimate brother.
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