balatron

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English

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Etymology

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From Latin balatrō (jester, buffoon).

Noun

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balatron (plural balatrons)

  1. A buffoon; one who speaks a lot of nonsense and is characterized by self-indulgence.
    • 1927, The Dalhousie Review - Volume 7, page 65:
      If we are "students of the Balatronic dialect" — a dialect so called from the "Balatrons" or professional buffons who invented most of it — we shall perhaps refer to its users as: — "Blunderkins, having their heads stuffed with nought but balderdash.
    • 1981, Alexander Theroux, Darconville's cat, page 32:
      His fat body shook like a balatron, as if his soul, biting for anger at a mouth inadequately circumferential, desired in vain to fret a passage through it.
    • 1990, Christopher Maslanka, The Guardian Book of Puzzles, →ISBN, page 52:
      But he did not want to look a complete balatron in front of the Rabbi.
    • 2015, Peter N. Milligan, Bulls Before Breakfast, →ISBN, page 87:
      Anyone who discounts the peril is a self-important, arrogant balatron.

Derived terms

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Anagrams

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