Amazing Word: Louche

This week my amazing word is:

Louche

Louche (pronounced LOOSH) means a something or someone who is not reputable or decent. 



However, the word comes from the Latin word luscus, meaning blind in one eye. 

This gave rise to the French word meaning cross-eyed, and a figurative sense of shady or devious. Though the English version dropped the sight-impaired meaning, it is still a great word with a visual context to it.

Example

The famous detective, Columbo, paused at the door for a moment looking every bit the type of louche he had been assigned to find.

Example

"However louche Los Angeles' image may be, it remains a puritanical city in a puritanical state. California caps the number of bar licenses … at one for every 2,000 residents. That number hasn't changed since 1939…." — Josh Stephens, Los Angeles Times, April 9, 2015