louche

Immoral, disreputable, decadent – none of these capture that sleazy yet elegant and brazenly androgynous seductiveness that is at the essence of louche. For me the embodiment of louche (and this is a word that demands to be written in italics, for no other reason than it can't be bothered to stand up straight) is the character "Joel Cairo" in The Maltese Falcon as played by the peerless Peter Lorre, an actor who almost always played louche.

Seems like it should be a dirty word, but it also sounds like slurring after too much to drink. I bet there's a lot of spitting involved with this word.

Definitions: of questionable taste or morality
lacking respectability in character or behavior or appearance

Of questionable taste or morality; decadent

Synonyms: shady
Related terms: Similar to disreputable

French, from Old French losche, squint-eyed, feminine of lois, from Latin luscus, blind in one eye.

Dictionary definition of louche

Louche is my mom's favorite word. It's even her license plate. Hilariously inapt for her sweet self.