wetback
/ˈwɛtbak
/noun US informal, derogatory
A Mexican living in the US, especially without official authorization.The illegal immigrants are known colloquially as mojados or wetbacks, illegals, and pollos - Spanish for ‘chickens,’ the prey of coyotes....
- Off and on for several years we employed a wetback, an illegal alien, who worked around the house and yard.
- I think he's a goddamn wetback, so you may want to notify the Immigration Service.
Origin
1920s: so named from the practice of swimming the Rio Grande to reach the US.
Rhymes
- full professorship
- full ride
- full-rigged
- full-scale
- full score
- full-service broker
- full-service brokerage
- full sister
- full-size
- full-sized
- full steam (or speed) ahead
- full stop
- full term
- full-throated
- full-time
- full time
- full-timer
- full-toned
- full to overflowing
- full toss
- full to the brim
- full up to dolly's wax
- fully
- -fully
- fully fashioned