Etymology

snollygoster

S1N1O1L1L1Y4G2O1S1T1E1R1

Today it means: A shrewd person not guided by principles, especially a politician. Full definition →

Pennsylvania German schnelle geeschter
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The story

  1. Pennsylvania German · derived fromschnelle geeschter
  2. English todaysnollygoster

19th-century American English. Possibly from snallygaster, a mythical beast that preys on poultry and children; possibly from Pennsylvania German schnelle geeschter, from German schnell (“quick”) + Geist (“spirit”). Largely obsolete, it briefly resurfaced in 2009 in Britain as part of a debate over MPs' expenses.

Words from the same roots

Pennsylvania Germanschnelle geeschter all →

snallygaster

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.