The word ‘snollygoster’ is a fantastic word that has been forgotten about until now.
Snollygoster was originally two German words put together: schnelle geister, meaning "quick spirits" or "mythical monster," and was used in the 19th century to calculate doubtful people (most especially politicians).
It was recently used in a spat between two MP’s in Gloucester. At least one good thing came from the MPs’ expenses scandal--the return of the word snollygoster.
Additional Credits: The Word Detective
Vintage Language Revivals
'Snollygoster' Brought Back by Heated Public Spat
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