noun
stallkeeper; street vendor; hawker
Refers to a person who runs a stall at a festival or fair, or a street vendor/performer. Often associated with traditional Japanese festival culture. The term can carry a slightly rough or old-fashioned nuance.
See also: 的屋
祭りで香具師が焼きそばを売っていた。
A stallkeeper was selling yakisoba at the festival.
彼は若い頃、香具師として各地を回った。
In his youth, he traveled around as a street vendor.
noun
Only when written 香具師
Internet slang derived from the ateji reading of 香具師 for やつ (奴). Used to refer to a person in a casual, often derogatory or humorous way. Restricted to the 香具師 spelling.
See also: 奴 (やつ)
あの香具師、また変なこと言ってるよ。
That guy is saying weird stuff again.
ネットで見かけた香具師
The dude I saw online was funny.
的屋 specifically refers to a stallholder at a festival or event, often with a connotation of being part of a traditional trade group. 香具師 is a broader and older term that can include street performers and peddlers, and is now more commonly used in its slang sense.
奴 is the standard word for 'guy' or 'fellow' in casual speech. 香具師 is an internet slang variant using ateji, often with a more playful or derogatory tone.
Originally referred to itinerant merchants and performers. The kanji 香具師 is ateji. The internet slang sense comes from using the characters 香具師 to phonetically represent やつ (奴), a common word for 'guy'.