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palooka

[puh-loo-kuh]
See more synonyms for palooka on Thesaurus.com
noun Slang.
  1. an athlete, especially a boxer, lacking in ability, experience, or competitive spirit.
  2. a stupid, clumsy person.

Origin of palooka

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for palooka

boxer, second, palooka
British Dictionary definitions for palooka

palooka

noun
  1. US slang a stupid or clumsy boxer or other person

Word Origin for palooka

C20: origin uncertain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for palooka
n.

"mediocre prizefighter," 1926, 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.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper