# snollygoster

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A shrewd person not guided by principles, especially a politician.

## Etymology
19th-century American English. Possibly from snallygaster, a mythical beast that preys on poultry and children; possibly from Pennsylvania German schnelle geeschter, from German schnell (“quick”) + Geist (“spirit”).
Largely obsolete, it briefly resurfaced in 2009 in Britain as part of a debate over MPs' expenses.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/snollygoster