ugly customer

American  

noun

1. a hostile or dangerous person.

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ugly customer Idioms  

1. An ill-natured or vicious individual, as in Watch out for Charlie when he's drinking; he can be an ugly customer. This phrase uses ugly in the sense of “mean” or “dangerous.” [c. 1800]

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Etymology

Origin of ugly customer

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

At length, however, she discovered that an ugly customer was near her, and lost no time in setting every stitch of canvas she could carry, and running directly off before the wind.

From Hurricane Hurry by Kingston, William Henry Giles

He was not long in finding the vine in question an ugly customer.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 18, No. 109, November, 1866 by Various

Far Rua was an ugly customer, no doubt, to meet with; and, moreover, the idea of the confounded “cake” aforesaid flattened the very heart within him.

From The Irish Fairy Book by Various

Cuhullin was an ugly customer to meet with; and, the idea of the "cake" aforesaid flattened the very heart within him.

From Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales by Various

I do not know what he thought of me: I do know that I thought him a very ugly customer.

From Dick Onslow Among the Redskins by Soper, George