Episode 156: Beggars, Cheats and Thieves
The History of English Podcast
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A Cave for Common Cursitors, Vulgarly Called Vagabonds
A ruffler was a road thief who pretended to be an injured or maimed soldier so that other people would feel sorry for him. Cursitor was a common word at the time for a tramp or vagabond, which literally meant someone who wanders about the country. A rogue was a thief who made his living on the highways.
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