guttersnipe

American  

[guht-er-snahyp] / ˈgʌt ərˌsnaɪp /

noun

1. a person belonging to or characteristic of the lowest social group in a city.

2. a street urchin.

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guttersnipe British  

/ ˈɡʌtəˌsnaɪp /

noun

1. a child who spends most of his time in the streets, esp in a slum area

2. a person regarded as having the behaviour, morals, etc, of one brought up in squalor

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Other Word Forms

• guttersnipish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of guttersnipe

First recorded in 1855–60; gutter + snipe

Explanation

If someone refers to you as a guttersnipe, it's definitely not a compliment — they're essentially calling you a messy and ill-behaved child. While it's unusual to hear guttersnipe these days, it was once a common way to refer to a homeless person, particularly a child. The word made an initial appearance in the 1850s meaning "street corner broker" in Wall Street slang, but thanks to Mark Twain's 1869 reference to "noble savages (and) illustrious guttersnipes," it came to mean "street urchin." Earlier, as far back as Shakespeare's time snipe had been used to mean "disreputable person."

Example Sentences

"Not 'e," snarled Mother Guttersnipe, in an exultant tone.

From The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Hume, Fergus

The other gave a howl of dismay at hearing this pleasant proposal, and tottered out as quickly as possible, leaving Mother Guttersnipe in undisputed possession of the field.

From The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Hume, Fergus

"Well," resuming his seat, "Mother Guttersnipe died the other night."

From The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Hume, Fergus

Mother Guttersnipe sprang up, and seized his arm with a scream of terror.

From The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Hume, Fergus

"Yah!" shrieked Mother Guttersnipe, snapping her fingers at him.

From The Mystery of a Hansom Cab by Hume, Fergus

Related Words

• homeless person
• unhoused person