kemosabi
English
Alternative forms
- kemo sabe
- kemosabe
- ke-mo sah-bee
Etymology
Coined for the 1938 Lone Ranger television serial, apparently from a corruption of Spanish quien lo sabe "(he) who knows".
Noun
kemosabi (plural not attested)
- (colloquial) An appellation given to a wise friend.
Usage notes
The use of this term is mildly offensive among English-speaking Latinos, who see use of the term on the original television serial as fawning on the part of Tonto (whose name means "stupid" in Spanish).