White Anglo-
Saxon Papist. Used by former WASPs who have "swum the Tiber" or "Poped," and who then notice that you don'
t suddenly become Italian when you do so. Some
may object to this usage of WASP, but it accords completely with the fact that WASP-hood is not so much an ethnic identity as a cultural one. The late William F. Buckley,
Jr., for example, was a quintessential WASP in nearly every
respect. The usage also accords with the WASP delight in wordplay. Some use the term WASC, which is an equally effective acronym, but less fun and hence, less WASP.
When I became Catholic, I made all my Catholic
friends nervous with my constant use of wacky nicknames and frequent
cracking of verbally complex jokes, so I realized I was now a White Anglo-
Saxon Papist; once a WASP, always a WASP.