| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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6. Names and Labels: Social, Racial, and Ethnic Terms
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| § 62. welsh |
| Etymologists can find no firm evidence that the verb welsh, meaning “to swindle a person by not paying a debt” or “to fail to fulfill an obligation,” is derived from Welsh, the people of Wales. However, many Welsh themselves harbor no doubt on this subject and hold the verb to be a pointed slur. You would do well to avoid this informal term in ordinary discourse; renege or cheat can usually be substituted. | 1 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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