ham-and-egger

English

Etymology

From boxing, where a poor boxer would only win enough money to pay for meals; ham and egg +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

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Noun

ham-and-egger (plural ham-and-eggers)

1. (derogatory) A worthless or undesirable person.
2. (wrestling slang) A preliminary wrestler; a jobber.
3. An ordinary person; a simpleton.
4. (boxing) A failed boxer; a tomato can.
   • 1976 November 21, Rocky, spoken by Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone):

     Well, it's just that, you see, uh, I fight in clubs, you know, and uh, I'm really a ham-and-egger. This guy, he's the best, and uh, it wouldn't be such a good fight.

See also

• tea and toaster