[Wizardmerlin]

discuss..............

[ElProximo]

Originally Posted by Wizardmerlin

discuss..............

Okay I will bite.

Yes, in North America it's just a different context/expression/saying and doesn't have nearly the highly-sensitive 'thought-speak' creepy political correct weirdness.

My Dad was also called a 'gypsy' and people who move frequently 'gypsy around' and you can say 'my family were gypsies' more like a verb than a noun. Nothing derogatory about it. Frequently moving across country is very common in the USA and often a sign of a successful or admirable career.

For a derogatory angle. We might say 'Gypped'. You bought a car only to find it had no engine. You got 'gypped'.
The internet once told me this does come from 'gypsy' and implying gypsies will cheat you (or sell you shoddy things etc).
However,
Having said that, nearly nobody who says 'gypped' or 'what a gyp!' (bad deal) has any idea of its origin. Its long since divorced itself from original connotations.

However it would be funny if Tara whatsername did say "Wha.. I totally got gypped!".
So all of the UK could have front-page headlines, apologize to 'travelers', make big self-depreciating 'liberal white guilt' compensations and feel the need to remove some of their own rights to show everyone how they are even now.
Because its hilarious and sad watching an entire country do that.

[Wildcat!]

Yeah the Gypsy thing is common in the States and it just means what the above poster said. It has taken a term like Hippy almost.
And I use the term Gypped all the time. Like man they gypped me big time, to say I got ripped off. I had no idea it came from Gypsy, never ever made the connection. Learn something new everyday!

[Livia]

Americans have the Hollywood image of things.

[armand.kay]

You ameriacans make them sound glamorus which ther not !

[ElProximo]

Originally Posted by armand.kay

You ameriacans make them sound glamorus which ther not !

Like Wildcat mentioned - it was an image/term associated or synonymous to being a Hippie or an 'individualist' and all that. Popular in hippie era rock music. In a way also appealing to 'conservative' or traditional 'capitalist' type Americans as colonizing and uprooting and traveling and 'settling the west' is part of their history.

But they don't really have many actual gypsies so their reference is more like a kind of sentimental historical sense.

They don't really know they are obnoxious, tacky, loud pick-pockets and users that destroy neighbourhood real estate values and drain people of their money. Americans have their own versions thanks.

[Saph]

are jipo's gypsys??

[LeatherTrumpet]

If she really knew what she was saying she would not have said what she had said.

[LeatherTrumpet]

If she really knew what she was saying she would not have said what she had said.

[ArcticLion]

Originally Posted by SaphLiike

are jipo's gypsys??