palooka
Americannoun
-
an athlete, especially a boxer, lacking in ability, experience, or competitive spirit.
-
a stupid, clumsy person.
noun
Etymology
Origin of palooka
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25; origin uncertain
Explanation
A palooka is a boxer — not a champion but a second-rate fighter. If you were a sports writer in the 1930s, you probably used the word palooka a lot. Plus you probably wore one of those cool fedoras. This funny-looking word has a meaning that's not very funny if it applies to you — a palooka is a boxer who's not very good. Palookas are run-of-the-mill, second- or third-rate boxers whose careers don't go very far. Since success is rare, most fighters are palookas. In the 1920s, Joe Palooka was an American comic strip about a prize fighter who didn’t like to fight.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unfazed, Bugs Bunny says, “Watch me paste this pathetic palooka with a powerful paralyzing perfect pachydermous percussion pitch.”
From Washington Post • Feb. 25, 2021
In what feels like an elementary screenwriting mistake, that’s a choice that makes comic sense in Newt’s first encounter with talkative palooka Fogler but that pays off less and less as the movie goes on.
From Slate • Nov. 17, 2016
After Washington beat up on the latest Pac-10 Conference palooka du jour yesterday, 29-7 over Oregon, there is little evidence to dispute the belief the Huskies will be 11-0 on New Year’s Day.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 26, 2016
But the actor who played Rocky was no palooka, and he refused to step into that ring.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2016
Razor, is a sincere palooka who has made big mistakes in life but remains pure of heart.
From New York Times • Dec. 24, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
