fuck-you lizard

English
a fuck-you lizard

Alternative forms
  • fuck you lizard

Etymology

Named during the Vietnam War, as the lizard's cry could be heard as fuck you. The fuck sound is quite clear and short in duration, followed by a pause of about half a second and the elongated you. The same sound could also be heard as tokay (as in tokay gecko), as tokeh (as in tokeh-tokeh), or as tuctoo, all of which are other English names of the lizard.

Noun

fuck-you lizard (plural fuck-you lizards)

  1. (markedly vulgar) the tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), native to Southeast Asia.
    • 1988, Russell E. McLogan, Boy Soldier: Coming of Age During World War II, Terrus Press, page 141:
      “Relax, son,” he whispered, “it’s only a fuck-you lizard.”
    • 2004, Mike Sutton, No Survivors, Author House, page 176:
      “Uccck-ouuu.” Small Deer said, imitating a Fuck-You Lizard to perfection.
    • 2009, Wayne Karlin, Wandering Souls: Journeys with the Dead and the Living in Viet Nam, Nation Books, page 269:
      At least it wasn’t a fuck-you lizard, I thought.

Translations
tokay gecko — see tokay gecko

Further reading
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