palooka slang (chiefly U.S.).
(pəˈluːkə)
Also paluka, palooker.
[Orig. unknown.]
An inferior or average prizefighter; any stupid or mediocre person; a lout. Also attrib.
| 1925 H. C. Witwer Roughly Speaking (1926) 287 Ben will make at palooka's pan over for you in any style you wish, Reverend Jephtha. 1927 D. Hammett in Black Mask Feb. 28/1 A paluka who leads with his right. 1932 Wodehouse Hot Water vi. 112 One of these palookas suddenly pulls out a young carving-knife and sticks me in the wish-bone with it. 1933 Amer. Speech Oct. 37/2 He still looks plenty good enough to take the English palooka. 1936 J. Tulley Bruiser v. 48 Don't let these palookers around here laugh you outta seein' me go—all you'll ever get outta these stumble bums is the holes in the doughnuts. 1950 J. Dempsey Championship Fighting ii. 11 It was only natural that the tide of palooka experts should sweep into the amateur ranks. 1950 A. Lomax Mister Jelly Roll (1952) 139 You won't kick me in the ass, because I can beat this palooka. 1977 New Yorker 8 Aug. 12/2 A romantic fable about a Philadelphia palooka who gains his manhood. 1978 N.Y. Times 27 Feb. c2/6 Leon Spinks..does not rate highly with at least one former heavyweight title holder. ‘He is a palooka,’ says Ingemar Johansson. |