snollygoster
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A shrewd person not guided by principles, especially a politician.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
[…]I called for him to publish his expenses so that all Gloucester voters could see that he isn't a snollygoster (a 19th century term meaning a corrupt politician, the website later explains).
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “snollygoster” mean?
A shrewd person not guided by principles, especially a politician.
Is “snollygoster” formal or informal?
snollygoster is generally slang.