Quote Originally Posted by Throbert McGee View Post
(4) ... "пиндосы" was a phonetic replacement...
I think it is true. Despite of "pindos" sounds inoffensively in russian, but it sounds consonant with some words which are fun or offensive.
I will add to your examples:
- попадос (slang "disaster, accident", derived from "попадать в неприятную ситуацию")
- pidoras (this long form of 'pidor' is more consonant)
Even "утконос" comes in my mind.
Also, there is a little words ending with "-дос" in russian, another examples: кальвадос, кандидоз - they sounds as foreign (which is true) words, so it adds some aroma of alieness too.