larrikin

Meanings

Noun

• A brash and impertinent, possibly violent, troublemaker, especially a youth; a hooligan.
• A high-spirited person who playfully rebels against authority and conventional norms.

Adjective

• Exhibiting the characteristics or behaviour of a larrikin; playfully rebellious against and contemptuous of authority and convention.

Origin

• Unclear. Suggested are:
• A corruption of larking.
• From Cornish larrikin ("hooligan").
• From Black Country dialect (area near Birmingham, UK) larrikin ("tongue"); hence, an outspoken person.