[Ads-l] Fugazi

[Ben Zimmer]

On Wed, Apr 15, 2015 at 6:41 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>
> CNN, moments ago:
>
> Chris Cuomo: "There's what I call the 'fugazi factor' [in Clinton's
> campaign]. The van, [etc.]"
>
> Michaela Periera: "What's 'fugazi'?"
>
> Chris Cuomo: "It means fake. You can look it up."
>
> But don't bother looking in the OED. And not even in HDAS, where the only
> sense (starting 1980) is - in the words of one of the citations - "fucked
> up in the head."  By 2005, the word was not uncommon.
>
> Rhymes with "crazy."  And 'fake' in the sense of 'theatrical.'

I believe the 1997 movie "Donnie Brasco" was the main popularizer of
the "fake" meaning of "fuga(y)zi".

--bgz

-- 
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

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