noun
card
An amusingly eccentric or clever person.
Her uncle is a real card, always telling ridiculous stories.
Etymology
The figurative personal label developed from the playing-card word. Describing someone as a particular sort of card became a way of identifying a distinctive character, especially an amusing or eccentric one.
More examples
- Everyone laughs at the old card's unexpected joke.
- He was quite a card at family gatherings.
- She calls her mischievous grandfather a card with obvious affection.
Forms
card · cards