RSG: Scousers (Liverpool dialect) call the cheapest gut-rot alcoholic drink RED BIDDY. It’s a mix of METHS (methylated spirit) and red wine (so I’m told!) The ROT = Germanic Red, in gut-rot is just a linguistic coincidence.
So many fanciful etymologies for WOP. Preferred etym. seems to be variants of GUAPPO (= S. Italian dandy) pronounced whappo/whoppo in some dialects, rather than several acronymic interpretations (WithOut Papers; WithOut Passport). Etymologist’s Axiom 1: distrust all acronymic explanations! Especially POSH (Port Outward, Starboard Home).
MattR: our emails citing In Cold Blood crossed. I suggest that VN/EW were probably aware of, amused by, the very fact that Red Wop had so many off-beat meanings. Quite likely that the derog. Wop would be known on Shade’s multi-ethnic campus, and picked up by Hazel in all innocence.
SKB
On 19/02/2010 19:07, "R S Gwynn" <Rsgwynn1@CS.COM> wrote:
In Leon Uris's Battle Cry wine of this type is called "Dago red."