ragamuffin

See also: Ragamuffin

English

WOTD – 1 July 2006

Alternative forms

• raggamuffin

Etymology

From the Middle English Ragamuffyn. Of uncertain origin, according to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: A muffin is a poor thing of a creature, a ‘regular muff’; so that a ragamuffin is a sorry creature in rags.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹæɡəˌmʌfɪn/

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (General Australian):

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Noun

ragamuffin (plural ragamuffins)

1. A dirty, shabbily-clothed child; an urchin.
   • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 71:

     I haue led my rag of Muffins where they are pepper'd: there's not three of my 150 left aliue; and they for the Townes end, to beg during life.

   • 1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, “Harvest Time”, in Little Women: […], part second, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC, page 348:

     “But may I inquire how you intend to support the establishment? If all the pupils are little ragamuffins, I’m afraid your crop won’t be profitable in a worldly sense, Mrs. Bhaer.”

   • [1877], Anna Sewell, “The Election”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part III, page 206:

     "They called her a little blue raggamuffin, father," said Harry, who ran in, looking very angry; "but I have given it to them, they won't insult my sister again. […]"

   • 1882, Mark Twain, chapter 12, in The Prince and the Pauper:

     'Yes, he is mine—I took him, a homeless little ragamuffin, but I saw what was in him, and I said his name would be heard some day—behold him, observe him—was I right?'

   • 1905, Upton Sinclair, chapter XVIII, in The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 26 February 1906, →OCLC:

     After walking a ways, Jurgis met a little ragamuffin whom he hailed: "Hey, sonny!"

   • 1916, John Buchan, chapter 15, in Greenmantle:

     He had found out the house of Frau von Einem without much trouble, and had performed with his ragamuffins in the servants' quarters.

   • 1984, Douglas Adams, chapter 21, in So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), page 112:

     A boy of the cheery gypsy ragamuffin variety.

   • 2013 December 19, Peter Kimpton, “Readers recommend: songs about smuggling and stealing – results”, in The Guardian‎^[1], →ISSN:

     It features other small ones—a bunch of Dickensian ragamuffins and their leader played by Ron Moody in Oliver!—You've Got to Pick a Pocket Or Two.

2. (slang) A hooligan or troublemaker.
3. Alternative letter-case form of Ragamuffin (“breed of domestic cat”)

Usage notes

Currently this word is slang, often (but not always) used either for anachronistic effect or as dialogue in historical fiction.

Derived terms

• ragamuffinly

Related terms

• in rags

Translations

dirty, shabbily-clothed child

• Bulgarian: у́личник (bg) m (úličnik), дри́пльо (bg) m (drípljo)
• Dutch: schooiertje (nl) n
• Finnish: resupekka (fi)
• German: Lumpenkind n
• Italian: straccione (it) m
• Macedonian: у́личар m (úličar)
• Polish: obdartus (pl) m, łachmaniarz m
• Portuguese: farrapo (pt) m
• Russian: оборва́нец (ru) m (oborvánec), голодра́нец (ru) m (golodránec)
• Spanish: arrapiezo

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “ragamuffin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• Jonathon Green (2024) “ragamuffin n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Italian

Alternative forms

• raggamuffin

Etymology

Borrowed from English ragamuffin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ra.ɡaˈmaf.fin/
• Rhymes: -affin
• Hyphenation: ra‧ga‧mùf‧fin

Noun

ragamuffin m (uncountable)

1. (music) ragga

   Synonyms: raga, ragga

Further reading

• ragamuffin in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
• ragamuffin in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication