Added 10 October 2026
palooka
/pəˈluːkə/ noun
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about palooka at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A stupid, oafish or clumsy person.
- Someone incompetent or untalented.
Origin
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).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)