Pelego is a term used in Brazil to refer to lamb's skin that gets the wool, when it is removed from the animal. This word originated from the Spanish pellejo, which means "skin".
As a slang, cape also means the same as doormat, that is, a person who is dominated by another, being persuaded to do a certain thing without her will.
However, the best known interpretation of this word, from its figurative sense, began in the 1930s, with the emergence of the Union Law. At that time, the pelegos became known as the union leaders who were trusted by the government and who served as a link between the entities and the State.
Years later, during the Military Dictatorship, the concept of fur gained a new interpretation. This time, these were those members and union leaders who acted on behalf of the government and not labor rights. Thus, pelego came to be seen as a traitor, a coward and an opportunist.
Learn more about Military dictatorship.
The pejorative figurative meaning given to the word pelego comes from the original meaning of this term.
Normally, the hide (sheep skin) is used in the harness of the horses so that the rider feels more comfortable when riding, and the animal more calm when being mounted. Currently, however, there are already synthetic hides that replace the one produced from animals.
Just as it served to "soften" the contact between the rider and the horse, originally, the union hide acted as an intercessor between the Government and the union.