- palooka
- noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1924 1. an inexperienced or incompetent boxer 2. oaf, lout
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.
palooka
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Palooka — may refer to: * Joe Palooka , an American comic strip * Palooka (film), a 1934 film * The Palooka , a one act play by Tennessee Williams * Palooka (pinball), a 1964 pinball machineee also*Palookaville, the imaginary hometown of incompetents … Wikipedia
palooka — (n.) mediocre prizefighter, 1925, of unknown origin, credited to U.S. sportswriter and Variety staffer Jack Conway (d.1928). Non boxing sense of average person is from Joe Palooka, hero of Ham Fisher s comic strip … Etymology dictionary
palooka — ☆ palooka [pə lo͞o′kə ] n. [< ?: popularized by Jack Conway (died 1928), U.S. baseball player and sportswriter] Slang former a clumsy or oafish fellow, esp. an inept athlete … English World dictionary
palooka — AND paluka [pa luka] n. a stupid person; an unskilled prizefighter; any mediocre person. (Also a term of address. From the name of the comic strip prizefighter Joe Palooka.) □ Tell that stupid palooka to sit down and shut up. □ Get out of here,… … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
palooka — Used in American slang, especially, to a large but rather stupid man, often in expressions like ‘you big palooka’. A woman might turn it into a disguised endearment. The word was originally applied to a clumsy boxer or wrestler. H.L.Mencken … A dictionary of epithets and terms of address
palooka — noun a) a stupid, oafish or clumsy person But against some palooka who had been press agented into greatness and into the form of a Dempsey menace that would pack any outdoor arena. b) an incompetent untalented boxer … Wiktionary
palooka — n A strong male. I m just waiting for the right palooka to come along and sweep me off my feet. 1920s … Historical dictionary of American slang
Palooka — Sports Slang. An incompetent or easily defeated player, especially a prize fighter. [Coined by Jack Conway (1886 1928), American journalist.] I ll tell you what, he got knocked out in the 3rd round like he was a palooka … Dictionary of american slang
Palooka — Sports Slang. An incompetent or easily defeated player, especially a prize fighter. [Coined by Jack Conway (1886 1928), American journalist.] I ll tell you what, he got knocked out in the 3rd round like he was a palooka … Dictionary of american slang
palooka — n American a large, clumsy and/or slow witted male. Before World War II the word was usu ally employed to describe a third rate prizefighter. It was apparently coined by Jack Conway, an ex baseball player and sports writer. The resemblance to… … Contemporary slang
palooka — /pəˈlukə/ (say puh loohkuh) noun Colloquial a stupid or clumsy person, etc. {early 20th century US slang, popularised by Joe Palooka, a boxer in a US comic strip of the 1930s and 1940s} …
