"French elite hit by SLEAZE claims -- The disgraced French former Foreign Minister, Roland Dumas, has accused ministers in the current government of involvement in a corruption scandal surrounding the former state-owned oil giant, Elf."
(BBC News - 18 June 2001)
Did you know?
Did you know?
The relatively recent word "sleaze" circa 1950 is a "back formation" from the older word sleazy. It means tastelessness by virtue of being cheap and vulgar.
Date: circa 1645
1 a : lacking firmness of texture : FLIMSY b : carelessly made of inferior materials :SHODDY
2 a : marked by low character or quality b : SQUALID, DILAPIDATED