Monday, October 1, 2012

Fashionable Words: Rapscallion


[Sometimes words die out of fashion. But sometimes those words are good words, words with a certain appeal that can't be denied forever. Those words should be brought back into fashion, used frequently and used often. These are those words.]


Word:
Rapscallion

Definition:   noun
1. rascal, rouge, scoundrel.

Origin:
Rapscallion is a simple evolution from the obsolete rascallion, an old-timey, fancy way of calling someone a rascal.

All dictionary sources claim it was first used in the late 1690s--although Merriam-Webster is certain it was in 1699, yet they don't cite where.

Either way, it's old. Picture Lando Calrissian, but in a top hat.

Most obscure Urbandictionary.com definitions for rapscallion:
2.  A green onion with street credentials.

6.  Dirty, a**-stankin' feet, with really long, fugal, curling toenails.

Used in a sentence:
1.  The beaten down corners of the city were largely populated by rapscallions and pickpockets.

2.  The poker game wasn't as fun once the rapscallion moseyed-up to the table and swindled us out of our money.

Word Awesomeness Scale (1 to 5):

Four.

In a moment of quiet self-analysis, you know you're not a rapscallion no matter how hard you try.

No comments:

Post a Comment