Pallieter

In Dutch literature, Pallieter is the name of the eponymous character of the novel Pallieter (1916) written by the Flemish author and poet Felix Timmermans (1886-1947). A film based on the novel was released in 1975 under the same title.

The name has no meaning, as the author invented the name and even went so far as to have his character state explicitly in the novel that his name has no meaning at all. However, scholars think it likely that Timmermans was inspired by the Flemish dialectal word palloeter or paloeter meaning "fraudster, impostor" as well as "lazy person".

Due to the success, popularity and the resulting influence of the novel, the protagonist's name has since become a regular word in Dutch. It means "bon vivant", in reference to the character's approach to life.