palooka

English

Etymology

Used in the US since the 1920s, originally primarily of boxers. Popularized by Jack Conway of Variety, who also popularized baloney and bimbo. Further popularized by Ham Fisher in his comic strip Joe Palooka about a boxer (published in newspapers since 1930, particularly popular in 1940s).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pəˈluːkə/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

palooka (plural palookas)

1. (US slang) A stupid, oafish or clumsy person.
2. (US, boxing, bridge, etc) Someone incompetent or untalented.
   • 1923 March, Lincoln Star, Nebraska:

     But [Jack] Dempsey against some palooka who had been press agented into greatness and into the form of a Dempsey menace — that would pack any outdoor arena.

   • 1994, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction:

     Butch: Lookin' at somethin', friend?
     Vincent: I ain't your friend, palooka.

Derived terms

• Palookaville

Translations

stupid, oafish or clumsy person

• Dutch: knuppel (nl) m, klungel (nl) m or f
• Finnish: palikka (fi)

See also

• (boxing): tomato can

Further reading

• “palooka n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present