palooka

Noun

An unskilled, clumsy boxer; an inept person.
a second-rate prize fighter
A stupid, oafish or clumsy person.
Someone incompetent or untalented.

Examples

After several poor plays, he felt like a PALOOKA in the Words With Friends ring.

Origin / Etymology

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).

Synonyms

stumblebum

Scrabble Score: 13

palooka: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
palooka: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
palooka: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 15

palooka: valid Words With Friends Word