Eyetie

English

Alternative forms

• eye-tie, Itie

Etymology

From Italian, +‎ -ie.

Noun

Eyetie (plural Eyeties)

1. (US, British, slang, derogatory, ethnic slur) An Italian.
   • 1944, Lawson Glassop, We were the rats:

     The only danger of gas from the Eyeties was when they breathed garlic on you.

   • 1944, Richard Baxter, Stand by to surface:

     We got out to sea again, but it was not long before the Eyeties were on our track again.

   • 1977, Roald Dahl, The Swan:

     The Frenchies eat 'em [small birds] and so do the Eyeties.

   • 1986, Aidan Chambers, Dance on My Grave:

     D'you think they're Eyeties? Supposed to be great lovers...

   • 2012, Zadie Smith, NW:

     'Someone give this girl the bumps! She's getting married. Ah, the good die young. What's his name again? Francesco. An eye-tie? I move for a mistrial.

Synonyms

• (person of Italian descent): dago, goombah, greaseball, guido, guinea, wog, wop

Translations

person of Italian descent — see wop

References

• Dalzell, Tom (2018) “Eyetie”, in The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English, Routledge, →ISBN