Origin: 1925–30, Americanism; of obscure orig.; the proposals that the word is < G Jäger “hunter” or that it is the surname of a well-known safecracker are both very dubious
n. a tramp, thief, or safecracker. (Underworld.) : See if you can find that yegg we worked with on the bank job. He'll do.
n. an obnoxious male. : A couple of drunken yeggs were talking a little too loud, so Spike showed them the door.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History
yegg
"thief, burglar," especially "safecracker," 1903, underworld slang, of unknown origin, said to be from John Yegg, a Swedish tramp, or from Ger. Jäger "huntsman."
[yeg] 
