▪ I. † wop, n.1 Obs.
[OE. wóp: see weep v. etym.]
Weeping. Hence † wopi a., tearful.
| Beowulf 785 Þara þe of wealle wop ᵹehyrdon, gryreleoð galan godes andsacan. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. viii. 12 Þær bið wop & toþa gristbitung. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 157 Ure drihten..iturnd hore horte and heore wope to muchele blisse. c 1205 Lay. 5970 Wælle muchel wes þa wop [c 1275 wepinge]. a 1225 Ancr. R. 376 Iblesced beo þu, Louerd, þet..efter wopie wateres ȝeldest blið muruhðes. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6912 Heo..bileuede þer al niȝt In wop & in orisons. 1340 Ayenb. 71 Oure blisse is ywent in-to wop. |
▪ II. wop, n.2 and a. slang (orig. U.S.).
(wɒp)
Also Wop.
[Origin uncertain; perh. ad. It. dial. guappo bold, showy, ruffian, f. Sp. guapo bold, dandy, f. L. vappa sour wine, worthless fellow.]
A. n. a. An Italian or other southern European, esp. as an immigrant or foreign visitor (see also quot. 1914). Now considered offensive.
| [1912 A. Train Courts, Criminals & Camorra ix. 232 There is a society of criminal young men in New York City... They are known by the euphonious name of ‘Waps’ or ‘Jacks’. These are young Italian-Americans who allow themselves to be supported by one or two women... They form one variety of the many gangs that infest the city.] 1914 Jackson & Hellyer Vocab. Criminal Slang 88 Wop, noun. Used principally in the east. An ignorant person; a foreigner; an impossible character... Example: ‘You couldn't find a jitney with a search warrant in this bunch of wops.’ 1915 Wodehouse Psmith, Journalist xix. 138 He's a wop, kid... A wop. A dago... An Italian. 1924 E. Hemingway In our Time 17 Wops, said Boyle, I can tell wops a mile off. 1930 G. B. Shaw Apple Cart ii. 78 Lysistrata. What they call an American is only a wop pretending to be a Pilgrim Father. He is no more Uncle Jonathan than you are John Bull. Magnus. Yes: we live in a world of wops, all melting into one another. 1940 N. Mitford Pigeon Pie i. 7 Luke's Italian was far more affected than that of any native wop. 1942 R.A.F. Jrnl. 13 June 26 The pilots..suggested that the ‘Wops were yellow’ or that they could not ‘take it through cloud’. 1952 E. F. Davies Illyrian Venture ii. 26 We had breakfast in the mess tent, waited on by a cheerful wop. 1973 ‘I. Drummond’ Jaws of Watchdog ii. 26 Sandro dived into the pool... ‘You great fat clumsy Wop,’ said Jenny, ‘you've put my cigarette out.’ |
b. The Italian language.
| 1937 [see for all I know s.v. know v. 11 g]. 1938 E. Pound Let. 6 May (1971) 313 ‘Sardinia is Barbagia’ don't seem either English or Wop. 1982 A. Melville-Ross Trigger xx. 225 There's a lot of chat in Wop which I doesn't understand. |
B. adj. Italian.
| 1938 E. Pound Let. 8 Jan. (1971) 303 ‘Praedis’: I don't care how you spell your wop painters. 1940 [see kike]. 1941 C. Milburn Diary 15 Feb. (1979) 83 We have dropped parachutists in Italy... A very nice surprise for our ‘Wop’ enemy! 1955 E. Waugh Officers & Gentlemen 326 You'll find her full of wop prisoners. 1983 S. F. X. Dean It can't be my Grave iv. 64 Are you telling me, you Wop son of a bitch, that I can't get into my father's lift? |
▪ III. wop, n.3 R.A.F. slang.
(wɒp)
[Acronym from w(ireless op(erator (cf. op3 2 b).]
A radio operator.
| 1939 Airman's Gaz. Dec., You have a choice of three..trades—..W.O.M.,..W.E.M.,..and the W/Op. which rude people twist into Wop (most unfairly). 1957 R. Barker Ship-Busters iv. 70 Wireless operator/air gunners..most of the wop/A.G.s..came straight from gunnery school. |
▪ IV. wop
var. whop.