black-legs

An hereditary legislator, who passes his time with jockeys and black-legs and ballet-girls, and who is called to rule over me and his other betters because his grandfather made a lucky speculation in the funds, or found a coal or tin mine on his property, or because his stupid ancestor happened to be in command of ten thousand men as brave as himself, who overcame twelve thousand Frenchmen, or fifty thousand

The History of Pendennis 2006

It completely banished all needy souls and black-legs from the arena of honest sport, and left the field to those who came out of an afternoon and evening to enjoy themselves in an honest way.

Scottish Football Reminiscences and Sketches David Drummond Bone

The husbands 'threat to employ black-legs (alleged silk) appears to have proved effective.

Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, April 2, 1919 Various

Oh, those cheap artistes, those black-legs deserved to be hanged!

The Bill-Toppers J. Andr�� Castaigne

Suppressed two illegal apple-stalls in the Minories, and took up a couple of young black-legs, whom I detected playing at chuck-farthing on Saffron-hill.

Punch, or the London Charivari. Volume 1, July 31, 1841 Various

Next morning their organ protested, and gave the number of the black-legs and their names into the bargain!

Pelle the Conqueror — Volume 03 Martin Andersen Nex�� 1911

Next morning their organ protested, and gave the number of the black-legs and their names into the bargain!

Pelle the Conqueror — Complete Martin Andersen Nex�� 1911

"Yes, but there would be so many black-legs ready to take their places,"

The Big Bow Mystery Israel Zangwill 1895

He knew some anecdotes about the heroes of the turf, and various clever tricks of Marquesses and Viscounts which seemed to prove that blood asserted its pre-eminence even among black-legs; but the minute retentiveness of his memory was chiefly shown about the horses he had himself bought and sold; the number of miles they would trot you in no time without turning

Middlemarch 1871

This fraternity of artists -- whether they were to be denominated rooks, [5] sharps, sharpers, black-legs, Greeks, or gripes -- were exceedingly numerous, and were dispersed among all ranks of society.

The Gaming Table : Its Votaries and Victims : Vol. 2 1870