shyster

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“
Thinking Americans know full well what this shyster is up to.

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Definitions (5)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. noun Slang An unethical, unscrupulous practitioner, especially of law.
  2. Word History
    Calling someone a shyster might be considered libellous; knowing its probable origin adds insult to injury. According to Gerald L. Cohen, a student of the word, shyster is derived from the German term scheisser, meaning literally "one who defecates,” from the verb scheissen, "to defecate,” with the English suffix -ster, "one who does,” substituted for the German suffix -er, meaning the same thing. Sheisser, which is chiefly a pejorative term, is the German equivalent of our English terms bastard and son of a bitch. Sheisser is generally thought to have been borrowed directly into English as the word shicer, which, among other things, is an Australian English term for an unproductive mine or claim, a sense that is also recorded for the word shyster.

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Examples (50)

  • "For instance, I could use some nice advance information about what the stock market is going to do Monk growled, "Listen, you overdressed shyster--you don't believe that guy can really foretell the future Ham shrugged. —  098 - The Golden Man
  • I'm neither a shark nor a shyster, Mr. Man. If I should collect it, I would accept only my regular percentage.' —  The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Story of Young Abraham Lincoln, by Wayne Whipple.
  • "You like anything that's got a girl connected with it You're gettin' so you ride me as bad as that over-dressed shyster, Ham Brooks," Monk complained. —  071 - Mad Mesa
  • Then came excited words, words in a childlike, high-pitched voice Listen, shyster--don't try to tell me! —  081 - Hex
  • I'm gonna Well, go ahead Lookit, shyster, don't try to tell me that SOMEWHERE a signal sounded. —  081 - Hex
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This word has been looked up 95 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Probably alteration of German Scheisser, son of a bitch, bastard, from scheissen, to defecate, from Middle High German schīzen, from Old High German skīzzan; see skei- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Origin obscure. Usually associated with shy, as if from shy, sharp, sly, + -ster; but shy in that sense is not in use in the U. S.
 

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/ˈʃaɪstər/
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