Lounge lizard
A lounge lizard is a man who hangs around social spots to flatter and charm women, hoping to win them over with smooth talk and deception. The phrase likely started in New York around 1915. A 1931 book described lounge lizards as men who lounge in dance venues from tea time on, either to pick up a few dollars or to attract women who are in the lounge or nearby rooms. In Europe, the term later evolved into what we now call a gigolo.
The expression appears in early films as well. In Charlie Chaplin’s Sunnyside (1919), a title card uses the term to describe a group of men in a hotel lobby. In Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. (1924), a movie-within-a-movie features a stylish, good-looking man who is romantically involved with a wealthy young woman. Agatha Christie also uses the term in Parker Pyne Investigates, referring to Claude Luttrell as a lounge lizard in The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 18:50 (CET).