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lascar

fellow

noun las-KAR Rare
People & Society Community

Origin: Persian 'lashkar' (army), via Portuguese.

Also means

shady character

Usage Note

Lascar is informal and slightly old-fashioned slang for a cunning or dubious individual, often used with a mix of wariness and amusement: un drôle de lascar ('a funny/suspicious fellow'). Its tone is more colourful than insulting. You will encounter it mostly in colloquial speech and crime fiction.

Examples

"C'est un drôle de lascar, ce type."

Natural Translation

That guy is a strange character.

Literal Translation

It's a funny fellow, that guy.

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