ruffiano
Italian
Etymology
From roffia (“dirt”), from Old High German hruf (“eschar, crust”). Cognate with Icelandic hrufla (“to scratch”), English ruffle. Alternatively from Vulgar Latin *rufianus, from rūfus (“red”).[1]
Noun
ruffiano m (plural ruffiani)
- pander, procurer, pimp
- Synonyms: magnaccia, protettore, lenone, pappone
- bootlicker
- sycophant
- flunky
- hanger-on