Dubious Etymologies: Dead Rabbits, Plug Uglies

[Jonathan Lighter]

The History Channel's 2002 show on "Gangs of New York" features author Peter Quinn commenting on the naming of NYC's infamous gang, the "Dead Rabbits," of ca1860.  I paraphrase closely:

  "A professor found that the Irish words  / dEd r@ 'bid / meant "tough guy."  One day a newspaperman came down to the Five Points and asked, 'Who's that?' And somebody said, 'Oh, he's a  / dEd r@ 'bid /.'  And the gang became the 'Dead Rabbits.'"

  Luc Sante told a similar tale, though without the Irish part: "Well, 'dead' meant 'real or genuine' and 'rabbit' meant 'tough guy.' A 'Dead Rabbit' was a 'real tough guy.'"

  And the rival "Plug Uglies"?  According to Sante [I think], volunteer fire departments used to compete to be the first at a fire.  The first on the scene would "put a barrel over the fireplug to keep their rivals from putting out the fire. One of the biggest, toughest gang members would sit on the barrel to keep them from getting at the fireplug. And that's where we got 'Plug-Ugly.'"

  How anybody put the fire out in those circumstances is one of history's mysteries.Maybe they fought each other till one side ran away or the house burned down. (Not impossible.)

  JL


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