Spanish locals have offensive secret code word for British tourists

Travelling abroad is one of the luxuries some of us Brits get to experience each year.

Escaping the dreary, drizzly days of the UK is something many look forward to each year.

But each person will have their top travel destination, and if you’re from Britain, somewhere in Spain is probably a top contender.

We have a long history of bombarding the Benidorm strip, however, it turns out that it might be a one-sided love in this dynamic duo.

This is because UK travellers aren’t known for their decorum when flying to Spain, which is why there’s a secret word used by locals to describe Brits who possess some of these undesirable traits.

Good old Benidorm is a popular choice among Brits. (Getty stock image)

According to The Sun, this word is 'guiri', which is pronounced ‘guee-ree’.

But in order to be considered a 'guiri', you don’t actually have to be a Brit - you just need to be a tourist who acts in a way in which a lot of UK folk tend to while getting hyped on the strip.

One example of this kind of behaviour is excessive drinking and participating in boozy behaviour, which are two ways to earn yourself the name, 'guiri'.

A 'guiri' is apparently derived from a term describing the Basque word of 'giri', which means ‘blonde’ or ‘fair-skinned’ and so it was originally to label how a tourist looked.

But now it encapsulates the actions and characteristics of some naughty visitors.

It may seem slightly offensive if you were called one but according to some, locals use the term more broadly as a way to describe tourists.

Have you ever heard the phrase? (Getty stock image)

So don’t be offended if you get called it, consider it a pet name.

Don’t worry, you’re not going to be mobbed in the street for being a ‘guiri’ but you may be poked fun at for doing stereotypical things a 'guiri' would do.

This could be things such as drinking sangria all day or only ordering touristy foods (pizza, chips, toasties).

So, how do you prevent yourself from being called 'guiri'?

You know the type. (Getty stock image)

If you’ve watched shows like Benidorm, you’ll know exactly the type of person this relates to.

The flip-flop wearing Brit, with sunburn on their shoulders who refuses to put on sunscreen or something warmer even when the weather takes a turn for the worst.

They also won’t attempt to speak a lick of Spanish.

Basically, if you want to avoid being a 'guiri', it’s best to try to integrate into the culture, say ‘gracias’ every now and keep your sangria to a minimum.

Otherwise, you might find yourself being the butt of every joke, or even catch a few locals rolling their eyes at you.

In essence, show some decorum people!

Topics: Travel, Food and Drink

Britt Jones