Carlos the Jackal

1 9.9

A Venezuelan who became a well known international terrorist in the 1970s and 1980s

proper noun

: Carlos el Chacal

The international authorities finally captured Carlos the Jackal after years of pursuit.

Examples

Many documentaries have explored the activities of Carlos the Jackal throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Few figures in modern history are as infamous as Carlos the Jackal for global terrorism.
The infamous Carlos the Jackal was known for his terrorist activities.
Did Carlos the Jackal really operate in Europe during the 1970s?
Few figures in modern history are as infamous as Carlos the Jackal for global terrorism.
Many documentaries have explored the activities of Carlos the Jackal throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
The international authorities finally captured Carlos the Jackal after years of pursuit.

Surface Forms

Carlos the Jackal main

Morphology

Carlos + the + Jackal

This is a proper-name nickname referring to a specific historical individual; knowing 'Carlos' and 'jackal' as words does not allow a B1 learner to infer the referent (a Venezuelan militant/terrorist) or the cultural-historical association. While the literal components suggest a nickname (someone likened to a jackal), the precise identity and connotations require prior cultural knowledge, so the meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Carlos the Jackal may come from a famous book called 'The Day of the Jackal', which used the image of a lone, secret killer as a jackal. Journalists used that image for Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, who carried out secret attacks, so the name stuck as his 'nickname'.