EURO° NOUN (POLITICS)

Either a European or a Eurocommunist (see Euro-). Etymology: Formed by shortening European, probably under the influence of the combining form Euro- used as a free-standing adjective; compare Brit used as a noun. History and Usage: These two rather different uses have been current since the mid eighties; the sense 'a Eurocommunist' really belongs to the jargon used by Communists among themselves, while the more general sense 'a European' is a colloquial nickname for all Europeans (including the British) in the US, but largely limited to continental Europeans (or those in favour of European integration) when used by the British. In this latter use it was particularly topical during the debate about European integration (see EMU°). I'm the only person I know that tries to persuade both Euros and Tankies to join the Labour Party. Marxism Today May 1985, p. 9 Why didn't we assert British Rule and make the Euros change to furlongs and chains, bushels and pecks? Listener 6 Feb. 1986, p. 43 There are the chic Euros on holiday, the armies of retired people, and the smart 'Miami Vice' clones. Newsday 5 Jan. 1989, p. 2 A dense fog of rhetoric in which the Thatcherites insist on their commitment to co-operation and the Euros insist on their devotion to British sovereignty. Spectator 20 May 1989, p. 6