escro ايسكرو
Algerian Darja · noun
“escro” (ايسكرو) is a noun in Algerian Darja meaning crook, swindler.
Meanings
- crook, swindler
- liar, smooth talker
Usage
Escro comes from French "escroc", pronounced without the final c. It is integrated into Darja to mean someone who cheats, deceives or doesn't keep their word, in business as in daily life. It is often used as a predicate adjective: rah escro ("he's a crook"). It readily pairs with kaddab ("liar"). The register is colloquial. It is a derogatory judgment, but not a vulgarity. The meaning is the same as the French word. The word is nonetheless used more broadly for any cheat or sweet-talker, not only a fraudster in the legal sense.
Example
ما تتعاملش معاه، راهو ايسكرو
ma tet3amelch m3ah, rah escro
“Don't do business with him, he's a crook.”
How to write it in Latin letters
In Arabizi, Darija written in Latin letters, you will find “escro” but also “eskro” and “iscro”. No spelling is official: people write the sounds as they hear them.