pariguayo

What it means

1. 1.

   A sap; the man who stands at the edge of the party holding the drinks while other people dance with the girl he came with. The exact negative of a tíguere, and defined against it.

2. 2.

   By extension, anyone naive enough to be taken advantage of, or square enough to follow a rule nobody else follows.

Examples with translations

• No sea' pariguayo, sácala a bailar.

  Don't be such a wet blanket, go ask her to dance.

• Me dejaron como un pariguayo esperando ahí fuera.

  They left me standing outside like an idiot.

Where it comes from

Popularly derived from English 'party watcher', supposedly said of the US Marines who attended Dominican dances during the 1916–24 occupation without dancing. The story is repeated everywhere and has never been documented; treat it as folk etymology rather than established history. No better account has been proved either.

First attested: early 20th century

Other forms

Similar terms:

papelero