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 Bad-Bargain, subs. (old).—Formerly a worthless soldier; a malingerer. Nowadays the term is applied to any worthless person or scapegrace.

Bad-Break, subs. (American).—A corruption of 'bad outbreak,' i.e., riotous conduct, generally attributable to drink.

Bad Crowd Generally, phr. (American).—Of Western origin, and equivalent to the English no great shakes (q.v.). 'Crowd,' it may be remarked, in America, signifies either one or more individuals.

Bad-Egg, subs, (familiar).—A scoundrel; a blackguard; a 'loose fish.' In America the meaning attached to the term does not necessarily involve such an idea of depravity as on this side of the Atlantic. In the States the term is also applied to a worthless speculation.

1866. Sala, Trip to Barbary, p. 130. The man in black baize with the felt képi, and who had a hatchet face desperately scarred with the small-pox, looked from head to heel a bad egg.

1877. Five Years' Penal Servitude, ch. ii., p. 123. There is no doubt, but there are many of the officials of the convict prisons who are what the Yankees call gad eggs.

English Synonyms. Bad-lot; bad halfpenny; bad-hat. In Australia 'ne'er-do-wells' are termed sundowners; dry hash; or, a stringy bark.

French Synonyms. Malfrat (popular); mauvais gobet (popular: mauvais, bad; gobet, properly a mouthful, morsel, lump, or piece); ferlampier or ferlandier (thieves': ferlampié formerly signified a dunce); clique (popular); mariasse (popular).

Bad Form, subs. (society).—He who, or that which fails to conform to the shifting fads and fancies of Society, with a big S; and, in a more general sense, anybody or anything vulgar or lacking polish.

1882. Punch. Eton boy. What an awful lot of energy you've got uncle! Uncle. Pretty well, my boy, for my time of life, I think! E. B. Yes! but energy's such awful bad form, you know!

Badge, subs. (old).—Used in the canting sense, for one branded in the hand. 'He has got his badge, and piked'; i.e., 'he was burned in the hand, and is at liberty.—Grose.

Badge-Cove, subs. (old).—A parish pensioner; also in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries a licensed beggar or almsman. The remarks under Abram man and Abram sham are to the point in this connection.

Badger, subs. (old).—1. A river thief. A good account of these gentry appears in Harrison Ainsworth's Jack Sheppard.

2. (American thieves').—In the cant language of the American criminal classes a badger or panel thief (q.v.) is one who robs a man after a woman accomplice has enticed the victim into her den.

3. (schoolboy).—A red haired individual.

4. (harlotry).—A common prostitute.—See Barrack-hack.

5. (nautical).—Sometimes badger-bag. The fictitious individual personating Neptune in the festivities incident to 'crossing the line.'—See Ambassador and Arthur.