Home UK English schlenter

Meaning of schlenter in English:

schlenter

Pronunciation /ˈʃlɛntə/

adjective

South African

  • Not genuine; counterfeit.

    • ‘boys learn to tell the difference between genuine and schlenter diamonds’

noun

South African

  • 1A fake diamond.

    1. 1.1An illegal or dishonest scheme.
      • ‘A rumour spread that the fight was a ‘schlenter’, a setup, with McGoorty backing Darcy to win.’
      plot, intrigue, conspiracy, secret plan
    2. 1.2A confidence trickster.

verb

[with object] informal South African

  • Achieve or acquire by underhand means.

    • ‘I can always manage to schlenter a car’
    get, acquire, come by, secure, procure, come into possession of, pick up, be given

Origin

From Dutch and Afrikaans slenter ‘trick’. The sch- probably reflects Yiddish influence in the 19th century in diamond mining.