fancy man
- noun
- Offensive
:
proxeneta
- The police arrested the fancy man suspected of running the brothel.
Examples
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Many fancy men exploit vulnerable women.
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In old London, a fancy man would often linger near taverns seeking new clients.
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She was seen with her fancy man outside the club last night.
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The police arrested a fancy man last night.
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In old London, a fancy man would often linger near taverns seeking new clients.
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The police arrested the fancy man suspected of running the brothel.
-
Many fancy men exploit vulnerable women.
Synonyms
203
9.5
A person who controls prostitutes and takes some of their money
3
9.8
A person who finds customers for prostitutes
3
9.9
A slang name for a man who tries to attract women and sometimes acts as a pimp
1
9.9
A man who finds and controls people who sell sex and takes their money
1
9.9
A person who finds clients for people who sell sex
1
9.8
A person who finds clients for prostitutes
1
9.9
A man who finds customers for prostitutes and keeps their money
A man who controls people who sell sex and takes their money
A man who pretends to love someone to trick and use them
A person who uses money or gifts to control and profit from people they date
Surface Forms
Morphology
There is no clear compositional link between 'fancy' (ornamented, showy) and the meaning 'pimp'; a B1 learner who knows the constituents would likely interpret 'fancy man' as a stylish or attractive man, not someone who manages or profits from prostitutes. This is a culturally specific, slang/idiomatic occupational sense that cannot be predicted from the parts, so it is opaque.
Etymology
Fancy man also took a harsher meaning from 'fancy' as sexual desire. A man who handled other people's 'fancies'—finding clients or living off prostitutes—was called a fancy man, so the phrase came to mean a 'pimp'.