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gink (GINGK) - (slang) n., a person, a guy; (derog.) a foolish or socially inept man.
Can be complementary, actually, and used affectionately. This is an Americanism dating to around 1905 (with a completely obscure origin), which makes it interesting that it shows up in an exceedingly British 1938 novel. Looking at the entry in Green's, the UK citation from 1922 suggests transmission through the armed forces during the Great War -- but this is hardly conclusive evidence.
---L.
Can be complementary, actually, and used affectionately. This is an Americanism dating to around 1905 (with a completely obscure origin), which makes it interesting that it shows up in an exceedingly British 1938 novel. Looking at the entry in Green's, the UK citation from 1922 suggests transmission through the armed forces during the Great War -- but this is hardly conclusive evidence.
---L.
