clapperdudgeon means A beggar who would apply blood or sores to his body in order to gain attention and attract more alms. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “clapperdudgeon” is a great word
A beggar who deliberately inflicts wounds or applies sores to their body to elicit pity and solicit alms. From *clapper* (slang for the tongue of a beggar, or one who claps a begging dish) + *dudgeon* (a type of wood used for dagger handles, hence a dagger, suggesting the instrument of self-harm). Unlike a "mendicant," who may beg on principle, or a "vagrant," who may simply wander, the clapperdudgeon is a grim artisan of his own distress. He is the rancid scent of a vinegar-soaked ulcer, the theatrical rattle of a cup on cobblestones, and the glint of a kept blade in a dim alley—a testament to the body made a depreciating currency for survival.
Etymology
From clapper + dudgeon.
noun
- A beggar who would apply blood or sores to his body in order to gain attention and attract more alms.