Fink Is American Slang for an Informer
A fink is someone who betrays others, especially to an employer. The word's origin is disputed.
A fink is an informer or strikebreaker, and to fink on someone is to betray them. The word appears in American labour disputes around 1900 and its origin is genuinely disputed: one suggestion is German *Fink*, a finch, used in student slang for an outsider, and another connects it to the Pinkerton agency, whose detectives broke strikes. Neither is proven. *Rat fink* is a 1960s intensifier that spread through cartoons and custom car culture.
- An informer. *A dirty fink.*
- A strikebreaker. *Hired finks.*
- To betray. *He finked on them.*
- Rat fink — an intensified form. *A rat fink.*
- American — from about 1900. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | fink | A fink. |
| Plural | finks | Finks. |
| Verb | fink | Finking. |
| Compound | rat fink | A rat fink. |
| German | Fink | A finch. |
- Nobody trusts a fink.Informer.
- He finked on his colleagues.Verb.
- The origin is disputed.Etymology.
Words for an informer
- Fink — American, from labour disputes
- Snitch — originally slang for a nose
- Grass — British, probably from rhyming slang
- Stool pigeon — from a decoy bird tied to a stool
- Nark — British, possibly from Romani *nak*, a nose
American English from about 1900, of disputed origin, possibly from German *Fink*, a finch.
Where does fink come from?
The origin is disputed. Suggestions include German Fink, a finch used in student slang, and the Pinkerton detective agency.
What is a rat fink?
An intensified form of fink, popularised in the 1960s through cartoons and custom car culture.