Jack the lad
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Named after English thief, shoplifter, burglar, highwayman and gaol-breaker Jack Sheppard (1702–1724). [1]
Pronunciation
[edit]Audio (General Australian): (file)
Noun
[edit]- (British, slang) An irresponsible young man, seeking personal pleasure and gratification without any regard to responsibilities. A rogue.
- You seem to think you’re a bit of a Jack the lad, don’t you?
Translations
[edit]irresponsible young man, seeking personal pleasure and gratification without any regard to responsibilities; a rogue
References
[edit]- ^ Martin, Gary (2010 October 8) “Jack the lad”, in Phrase Finder[1], archived from the original on 2024-07-06: “The earliest use of the expression came in an 1840 song Jack's the Lad, with such descriptive lines as: "If ever fellow took delight in swigging, gigging, / kissing, drinking, fighting / Damme, I'll be bold to say that Jack's the lad."”