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   Fink

   /fiNGk/

   

   noun

   • 1. an unpleasant or contemptible person.
   • ▪ a person who informs on people to the authorities: "he was assumed by some to be the management's fink"
   • ▪ a strikebreaker.

   verb

   • 1. inform on to the authorities: "there was no shortage of people willing to fink on their neighbors"
   • 2. fail to do something promised or expected because of a lack of courage or commitment: "administration officials had finked out"
   • ▪ cease to function: "your immune system begins finking out and you get sick"

   Word Origin late 19th century: of unknown origin; perhaps from German, literally ‘finch’, but also a pejorative term. Students started to refer to nonmembers of fraternities as finks, probably by association with the freedom of wild birds as opposed to caged ones. The term was later generalized to denote those not belonging to organizations such as trade unions.

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • F

     4

   • I

     1

   • N

     1

   • K

     5

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