Plug Ugly (1856)

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FYI, America's Historical Newspapers (GenealogyBank) has the Baltimore Sun
from 1848-1901.
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8 March 1856, Baltimore Sun, pg. 1:
His father kept a tavern on the road; was for the bar on the 20th of
November last, attending there; when Patterson came into the door he said "oh  you
plug uglys;"...
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7 July 1856, Baltimore Sun, pg. 1:
Another fight in which pletals (?--ed.), bricks, &c., were freely used,  took
place on Saturday morning last, at the corner of Sutaw and Mulberry  streets,
between a party hailing as "Plug Uglies," and a party rallying under  the cry
of "O, you New Market."
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(OED)

plug-ugly, n. and adj.

slang (orig. and chiefly U.S.).
[< a first element of uncertain origin (see note below) + _UGLY_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&queryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max
_to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&sort_type=alpha&search_id=VUbp-13ansa-8604&co
ntrol_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefword=ugly&ps=n.)  n.
The first element has  variously been suggested to be _PLUG_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&queryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_
show=10&search_spec=fulltext&sort_type=alpha&search_id=VUbp-13ansa-8604&contro
l_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefword=plug&ps=n.)  n. 3 (arising from
competing Baltimore firefighter companies who  became combative around fire-plugs),
_PLUG_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&queryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&sort_type=alpha&search_id=V
Ubp-13ansa-8604&control_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefword=plug&ps=n.)  n. 7
or _PLUG_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&queryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&sort_type=alpha&search
_id=VUbp-13ansa-8604&control_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefword=plug&ps=v.)
v. 4b (with reference to such people being ugly because they had  been
(frequently) punched in the face), and _PLUG_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&queryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fu
lltext&sort_type=alpha&search_id=VUbp-13ansa-8604&control_no=50181865&result_p
lace=2&xrefword=plug&ps=n.)  n. 10 (with reference to the plug hats (cf. plug
hat n. at _PLUG_
(http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/crossref?query_type=fulltext&queryword=plug+ugly&first=1&max_to_show=10&search_spec=fulltext&sort_type=alpha
&search_id=VUbp-13ansa-8604&control_no=50181865&result_place=2&xrefword=plug&p
s=n.)  n. Compounds 2) worn by members of the gang to protect them from
opponents), but none of these suggestions appears to be supported by any
evidence.]

A.  n.
1.  Originally (chiefly with capital initials): a member of a gang of
ruffians in  Baltimore and some other American cities (now hist.). In later use more
generally: a thug, a rowdy.
1856  Butte Rec. (Oroville,  Calif.) 29 Nov. 3/7  The..Plug Uglies..went to
Philadelphia on election day..to fight  off and whip the democracy from the
polls.




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