Louche

[James Smith]

"louche" is French for cross-eyed, or, figuratively,
for someone of questionable intentions, someone who
won't look you straight in the eye.

JIM

--- Grant Barrett <gbarrett at AMERICANDIALECT.ORG>
wrote:
> I am pleased to see this word in use, though the
> context here doesn't really help
> define the word "louche."
>
>
http://www.nytimes.com/library/dining/031500smoke-restaurants.html
>
> Where the rich, famous or putatively hip gather, you
> will often find smoke. It tends
> to be a late-night thing. The menu at the new 71
> Clinton, with fewer than 35 seats,
> on the Lower East Side, even encourages it,
> declaring, "Smoking permitted after
> dinner hours" on the same line where it prohibits
> cell phones. Places cultivating European
> or louche ambience have to allow smoking by their
> louche European (or American)
> patrons.... .
>
> From OED:
>
> louche (lu), a. [Fr. louche squinting, OFr. lousche,
> orig. only fem.:-L. lusca, fem.
> of luscus one-eyed.] Oblique, not straightforward.
> Also, dubious, shifty,
> disreputable.
>

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