Clapperdudgeon

/ˌklæpərˈdʌdʒən/ noun

Definition

A beggar or vagrant, particularly one who is loud, boisterous, or makes a disturbance.

Etymology

From 'clapper' (tongue/noise-maker) + 'dudgeon' (a type of beggar or rogue). 17th-century slang combining terminology from the underworld and vagrant communities.

Kelly Says

Elizabethan England had an entire secret vocabulary for different types of beggars and con artists—clapperdudgeon was just one of dozens of terms that named specific social roles in the criminal underworld.

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