bootlegger

/ˈbuːtlɛɡə(ɹ)/

Etymology

From bootleg + -er. Originally a nickname given to smugglers in King George III's reign, derived from the smugglers' custom of hiding packages of valuables in the legs of their large sea-boots when dodging the king's coastguardsmen.

Why this word is great

BOOTLEGGER — [Noun] One who illegally produces, distributes, or sells goods, especially alcohol, or who violates intellectual property laws by reproducing protected works without permission. From bootleg (originally referring to the practice of hiding contraband in the legs of large sea-boots to evade authorities) + -er (agent noun suffix). The term dates back to the late 1700s in Cornwall, later popularized during Prohibition in the United States. Unlike "moonshiner" (who labors over stills in backwoods hollers) or "pirate" (who traffics in digital plunder), the bootlegger is a creature of logistics—part entrepreneur, part outlaw. It is the damp weight of whiskey bottles tucked under a trench coat, the muffled clink of glass against glass in a hidden compartment, the grainy VHS dub of a concert passed hand-to-hand like contraband scripture. A profession born of scarcity and desire, thriving wherever the law draws a line someone is willing to cross.

noun

  1. Someone who bootlegs.; One who is illegally a producer and/or trader of goods, especially of alcohol.“His sermon was a forthright denunciation of sin, an austere declaration of the motto on the wall behind him: he warned his flock against the evils of heady brews, gambling, and strange women. Bootleggers caused enough trouble in the Quarters, but women were worse.”
  2. Someone who bootlegs.; One who breaks intellectual property laws by reproducing protected works without permission.
  3. Someone who bootlegs.; A miner who mines illegally.