scalawag

American  

[skal-uh-wag] / ˈskæl əˌwæg /

especially British, scallywag

noun

1. a scamp; rascal.

2. U.S. History. a native white Southerner who collaborated with the occupying forces during Reconstruction, often for personal gain.

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scalawag British  

/ ˈskæləˌwæɡ /

noun

1. a variant of scallywag

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Other Word Forms

• scalawaggery
  noun
• scalawaggy
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of scalawag

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; origin uncertain

Explanation

A scalawag is a lying, no-good rascal. Scalawags are not to be trusted, but sometimes they’re a little bit cute. A scalawag would take the cookies right off your plate! This funny, old-fashioned word refers to people who are deceitful and untrustworthy. Scalawags are up to no good. Someone who steals your wallet or lies to your face is a scalawag. Scalawags play tricks and break laws, but they don’t do serious crimes. In U.S. history, scalawag has a more specific meaning: it refers to white Southerners who, after the American Civil War, supported the policies of Reconstruction that dismantled the Confederacy and granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people.