looky-loo, n. colloq. (orig. and chiefly U.S.).
Brit. /ˈlʊkiluː/, U.S. /ˈlʊkiˌlu/
Forms: 19– lookie-loo, 19– lookie-lou, 19– looky-loo, 19– looky-lou
[‹ look n. + -y suffix6, partially reduplicated. Compare looky here at look v. 4a.]
1. A person who views something for sale with no genuine intention of making a purchase; a window-shopper.
| 1977 Los Angeles Times 16 Sept. iii. 4 (advt.) Golf Looky-Loos. Come by and see our..Aerospace fiberglass..steel shaft woods at $35. ea. 1982 Calif. Business May 56 To preclude ‘looky loos’..it's common for a business owner to require that his asking price be put into escrow before he will open his books. 1995 USA Today (Electronic ed.) 23 Feb. Looky-loos (real estate-speak for window shoppers), the tabloid journalists and the prurient posing as prospective buyers are cut off at the pass. 2003 R. Adams & T. Adams Start your Own Speciality Trav. & Tour Business v. 69 You'll face constant interruptions from looky-loos who have no intention of buying your products. |
2. A person who comes or stops to look at something out of curiosity; = rubbernecker n. at rubberneck v. and n. Derivatives.
| 1980 Associated Press Newswire (Nexis) 23 July The (U.S.) Forest Service reports a large number of sightseers, lookie-loos, on the west side of the mountain. 1992 Newsweek 13 Jan. 38/1 A concierge had to constantly tell the camera-toting, autograph-seeking ‘looky-loos’ camped outside to take a powder. 1999 Washington Post (Electronic ed.) 9 Sept. c7 About 500,000 of its debut viewers were lookie-loos; the rest must be die-hard fans because they came back for the second week. 2005 C. Pickens Done gone Wrong i. 5 Even out here, the accident had attracted looky-loos, including one heavy-set guy..dragging on a cigarette and watching someone at work below. |