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WordWealth:
blackguard
black·guard
 , n.
1. a low, contemptible person;
scoundrel.
2. Obs. a. a group of
menial workers in the kitchen of a large household; b. the
servants of an army; c. camp followers.
–v.t.
3. to revile in scurrilous language.
[1525–35;
BLACK +
GUARD;
original sense obscure]
— black'guard·ism,
n.
— black'guard·ly,
adv.
—Syn.1. scamp, rascal, rapscallion,
rogue, devil, villain. 3. berate, vilify.
(Random
House Webster's Unabridged).
Look at
Thesaurus
Drummed out of the Garda for behaving like a blackguard, Jack becomes a private eye in his native Galway. But since there are no private eyes in Ireland (''the concept brushes perilously close to the hated 'informer' ''), he lives on the fringes, drinking and doing odd jobs for sad souls like Ann Henderson, who wants the full story behind her 16-year-old daughter's suicide. ——
Crime;
Marilyn Stasio
from Book Review, The New York Times;
Jan 26, 2003
The government has taken an
unprecedented step to try to keep Sir Joshua Reynolds' celebrated
Portrait of Omai, Britain's first black superstar - and a man
Captain Cook branded a "downright blackguard" - in the
country. ——
Fiachra Gibbons, arts
correspondent;
Portrait of Omai Must Stay in Britain - for
Now; The Guardian; Dec 18 2002
I am going to
conclude with a question, and I'll make it so plain (with the help
of the Lord, after five-and-thirty years, I should rather hope!) as
that the Devil shall not be able to confuse it in your heads. Which
he would be overjoyed to do."
("Just his way. Crafty old blackguard!" From Brother Gimblet.)
"And the question is this. Are the Angels learned?"
("Not they. Not a bit on it." From Brother Gimblet, with the
greatest confidence.)
"Not they. And where's the proof? Sent ready-made by the hand of the
Lord.
——
Charles Dickens;
George Silverman's Explanation; The
Atlantic; February 1868
DEBATE YOU WORD: 'BLACKGUARD'
It’s sad that this contemptuous term for a scoundrel has fallen out of
use, since it carries a big punch. Our usual pronunciation as
“blaggard” obscures its curious composition. Who or what was the
black guard that got itself such a dreadful reputation? If I had a
time machine handy, I’d go back to about 1500 and ask some pointed
questions of Londoners. Failing this device, matters have to remain
somewhat obscure. —— (Read
Debate in-depth of 'blackguard')
Michael Quinion writes about International English from a British view
point.Was the use of "blaggard" in a letter to the editor last week a similar phenomenon, denoting a spelling that is legitimate in its context, this time Irish English, but for which no authority is to be found in the English dictionary? The letter writer was quoting his father: "Football is a gentleman's game played by blaggards, rugby is a blaggard's game played by gentlemen and Gaelic football is a blaggard's game played by blaggards."..The
spelling reproduces the pronunciation of black guard or blackguard,
and the latter is the way in which it should normally be spelt. ——
(Read debate in-depth)
Ian Mayesin in
Barrack Room Blaggards;
The readers' editor on... minding the gap between English and
Australian; the Guardian;
Dec 2, 2002
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