snollygoster

snollygoster

Pronunciation: snah-li-gah-stêr
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Snollygoster or snallygaster was originally the name of a monster that preyed on poultry and children—an odd combination to be sure. Today, however, it more often indicates a rotten person who is driven by greed and self-interest. Two readers of the alphaDictionary Good Word series from New England, however, reported using this word to refer to terrible storms that hit the eastern seaboard. For sure this word always refers to something nasty.