ragamuffins

"Shall I call the ragamuffins by their nicknames, or will you have them handled like christians."

Horse-Shoe Robinson: A Tale of the Tory Ascendency. 1852

They saw on the one side a numerous, well-appointed, and full-clad army, dazzling their eyes with their elegance of uniforms; on the other a few poor fellows who, from their shabby clothing, were called ragamuffins, fleeing for their safety.

The Loyalists of America and Their Times, Vol. 1 of 2. From 1620-1816 Egerton Ryerson 1842

Present, if you wish, nobles, Jews, or any other kind of ragamuffins, but to make a laughing-stock and a comedy of honest tillers of the soil is a downright shame!

Komediantka. English W��adys��aw Stanis��aw Reymont 1896

It's funny, full of wordless clowning - and that's really the entire hook, that the eight ragamuffins in ripped clothes and heavy boots communicate through deadpan glances and silent ribbing as they devise musical riffs on everything from tiny matchboxes to huge oil drums.

Some new shtick in 'Stomp' Nelson Pressley 2011

One of the ragamuffins stopped laughing and appeared to be patting her hand comfortingly.

Uprising Margaret Peterson Haddix 2011

Even Ruth was hurt, for she had some regard for appearances, and her lover, cheek by jowl with Maria, at the head of that army of Portuguese ragamuffins, was not a pretty sight.

Chapter 35 2010

A gang of filthy-faced, snotty-nosed ragamuffins laughed uproariously to see her screaming.

Uprising Margaret Peterson Haddix 2011

And you progressives treat them like an unruly gang of ragamuffins.

Think Progress » Bachmann: ‘MoveOn.org people’ are not ‘real people.’ 2010

One of the ragamuffins stopped laughing and appeared to be patting her hand comfortingly.

Uprising Margaret Peterson Haddix 2011

A gang of filthy-faced, snotty-nosed ragamuffins laughed uproariously to see her screaming.

Uprising Margaret Peterson Haddix 2011