General
punga
What does punga mean?
The act or craft of pickpocketing itself.
"Vivia de la punga. (He made his living by pickpocketing.)"
Origin
Lunfardo from the early-1900s Buenos Aires underworld and recorded by the Academia Portena del Lunfardo; because it belongs to thieves' cant, its precise etymology is shaky and the Academia treats the foreign source as uncertain.
Frequently asked questions
What does punga mean?
It means a pickpocket, or the act of picking pockets.
Where did punga come from?
From the early-1900s Buenos Aires underworld; its exact root is uncertain, as with much thieves' cant.
What is punguear?
It's the verb meaning to pick someone's pocket.
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