ratfink

[ rat-fingk ]

noun

, Slang.

1. fink ( defs 3, 4 ).

ratfink

/ ˈrætˌfɪŋk /

noun

1. slang.
   a contemptible or undesirable person

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratfink¹

First recorded in 1960–65; rat + fink

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratfink¹

C20: from rat + fink

Example Sentences

I drowned my sorrows in cherry Kool-Aid, and went to confer with the boys on the other side of the pool, where we ganged up on one of them, naming him Rick the Ratty Raunchy Ratfink, which, we decided, would be his nickname for all time.

From The New Yorker

“Rick the Ratty Raunchy Ratfink’s hair is longer than yours.”

From The New Yorker

In American criminal circles, a fink was an informer or stool pigeon; a particularly egregious example of the species was given the intensified label of ratfink.

From Slate

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