Learn English – Origin of the word “spraunce”

etymologyslangword-usage

I was recently talking to someone who said a restaurant was spraunce, meaning it was well-presented and high-quality (that being the sense I was familiar with). We briefly discussed the fact that he thought spraunce also implied expensive, whereas I wasn't aware of that connotation.

I was surprised when it turned out none of several other people in that conversation knew the word at all. Even more surprised to find out later that it doesn't seem to be in any dictionaries. And positively gobsmacked after going online and discovering even Google doesn't seem to know it.

It took me several minutes to unearth this single reference, where it's actually to spraunce up. That clearly suggests alliteration / confusion with to spruce up. I'm happy to accept that as being a possible component of the origin, but it doesn't really feel like the whole story.

Does anyone else know the word? Or anything about its origins and usage?

Best Answer

Green's Dictionary of Slang has sprauncy as "smart or showy in appearance or sound of voice". The earliest usage cited is 1957. It suggests sprauncy is derived from sprouncey, meaning cheerful (I can't find that online either).

Edit: I've just turned up another source here that concurs (the Oxford Dictionary of Slang, filtered by Answers.com).

Second edit: FumbleFingers has run down a second source here which suggests it is a Jewish coinage, combining the word shapar, meaning beautiful, with fancy.