English · Idiom Historical

royal scamps

Preserved but no longer current.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Highwaymen who never rob any but rich persons, and that without ill treating them. See SCAMP.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Kẻ cướp đường chỉ tấn công những người giàu và không đối xử tàn ác với họ.

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “royal scamps” mean?

Highwaymen who never rob any but rich persons, and that without ill treating them. See SCAMP.

Is “royal scamps” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

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