Etymology

scalawag

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Today it means: A disreputable fellow, a good-for-nothing, a scapegrace, a blackguard. Full definition →

Old Norse Skálavágr
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The story

  1. Old Norse · derived fromSkálavágr
  2. English todayscalawag

Of obscure origin, perhaps from the name of the Shetland village of Scalloway (from Old Norse Skálavágr), known for its dwarf ponies and dwarf cattle.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.