bad egg

noun

1. a person who is bad, dishonest, or unreliable; a good-for-nothing:

   a bad egg who had served several years in prison.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bad egg¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Idioms and Phrases

An individual who turns out to be rotten, as in You can't trust him—he's simply a bad egg . Although egg had been used for various kinds of person (young, good, bad) since Shakespeare's day, this transfer of a seemingly wholesome food that, when opened, turns out to be rotten took place only in the mid-1800s. An early definition appeared in The Atheneum of 1864: “A bad egg ... a fellow who had not proved to be as good as his promise.” In contrast, the schoolyard saying Last one in is a rotten egg does not have any special significance other than as a way of urging others to join an activity, jump in the water, or the like. Also see good egg .

Example Sentences

This an unnervingly compassionate portrait of a truly bad egg.

From Time

Chloride of Lime … bad smell … bad egg … white of egg … fowl … grain … flour … flour and water … milk fluid … milk.

From Project Gutenberg

A single bad egg will make the whole mixture heavy, spungy, and of an unpleasant taste.

From Project Gutenberg

What made it particularly difficult was that the other man had been a very bad egg, indeed.

From Project Gutenberg

I suppose, he half laughed, as he walked slowly past the building, the old relic thinks Im a bad egg.

From Project Gutenberg

"A bad egg," he said, and began to talk about bygone days on the Ridge.

From Project Gutenberg