علج

Etymology
Connected by Jakob Barth to 🇨🇬; as a nickname originating in some ancient dialect therewith inviting to draw a parallel with vs..

The word was quite obscure until the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when the Iraqi information minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf aka "Comical Ali" started frequently using it to refer to the invading American troops. It was a hassle for translators, and sparked debate in Arabic-language media regarding its meaning and etymology.

Noun

 * 1) sturdy man, bulky bloke
 * 2)  atheist, kafir
 * 3) wild ass, onager
 * 1) wild ass, onager