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Meaning of tonto | Babel Free

Noun CEFR C2 Specialized

Definitions

  1. The Native American sidekick of the Lone Ranger.
  2. A sidekick.
  3. Synonym of idiot: someone who is foolish or stupid.
    slang
  4. a traditional Ugandan fermented beverage made from bananas
    uncountable
  5. A member of the Tonto Apaches.
  6. A Native American who accepts a subservient position to a white person.

Examples

“Even us tontos figured that one out.”
“Salespeople may see themselves as Lone Rangers, not in need of any help, save for the occasional advice from a Tonto (or technical sales specialist).”
“Hardcastle realized he couldn't go it alone and would need a “Tonto.” He found his trusty sidekick in “Skid” Mark McCormack”
“So do you have a Tonto in your life? If not, find one and make that person your trusted companion.”
“They called Indians like him — that is, any Indian who tried to make it by working within the system — a "Tonto."”
“Once more, Beyond the Survey takes up the topic, introducing a character Mowees (obviously an "Indianificarion" of the common Metis name Moise) who unfortunately never rises above the level of a Tonto figure.”
“Law Schools, a critical race theorist likened Kennedy to a Tonto figure, the fictional Indian whose loyalty to the Lone Ranger set him apart from, if not against, his tribe.”
“An example: The Black Panther Chairman abuses the black Supreme Court Justice (the latter having just denied a Cleaver plea) as an "Uncle Tom, a bootlicker, a nigger pig, a Tonto, and a punk."”
“But clearly she's a Two Hearts, not a Tonto.”
“In the best circumstances, he was devastatingly witty and slyly subversive; in the worst, he was merely a Tonto with an Afro.”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.

See also

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