What is "perica"

Perica is a Croat and Serb male given name; it is also prevalent as a surname. Perica is a diminutive of Petar, translating to Pete and Peter in English, respectively.

In Croatian and Serbian popular culture Perica often portrays a stereotype of an innocent or mischievous young boy with a very straightforward way of thinking. An example is Perica Šafranek in the 1970 classic Croatian (then Yugoslav) comedy film Tko pjeva zlo ne misli. He is common in jokes and is similar to Little Johnny in English.