ENGLISH
REFERENCE

walt

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈwɔɫt// walt Archaic Dialect Slang Vulgar

n. someone who pretends to have been in the military or have a special job to get respect. You use this for people who lie about their past to look like heroes.

n. an individual who falsely claims to have served in the military or to have held a specific rank or role. Derived from the character 'Walter Mitty', it implies a delusional or deceptive performance of status.


SIMPLE

The man at the bar was a total Walt.

CONTEXTUAL

Military veterans quickly identified him as a Walt because he was wearing his medals in the wrong order.

COMPLEX

The online community dedicated itself to exposing every Walt who attempted to profit from fabricated stories of special forces operations during the conflict.

Origin

Clipping of Walter. The derogatory British sense is a reference to the fictional character Walter Mitty from The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a mild-mannered pushover who has wild fantasies about his life in various daring roles.

Usage

Primarily British military and emergency services slang; functions as a derogatory label for imposters.

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