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snollygoster

 - 2 dictionary results

snol⋅ly⋅gos⋅ter

[snol-ee-gos-ter]
–noun Slang.
a clever, unscrupulous person.

Origin:
1855–60; orig. uncert.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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snol·ly·gos·ter   (snŏl'ē-gŏs'tər)   
n.   Slang
One, especially a politician, who is guided by personal advantage rather than by consistent, respectable principles.

[Perhaps alteration of snallygaster, a mythical beast said to prey on poultry and children, perhaps from Pennsylvania Dutch schnelle geeschter : Middle High German snēl, quick (from Old High German) + Middle High German geist, spirit (from Old High German).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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