guttersnipes
Ragged street children
Guttersnipes are street urchins—poor children who live or spend time in the streets, associated with gutters and urban squalor.
The term is old-fashioned and now used mostly as a colorful insult for someone considered low-class or ill-mannered: Those guttersnipes have no business at a formal dinner.
The singular is guttersnipe.
Abandoned, neglected child
- ragamuffinShabby, unkempt child
- orphanChild whose parents died
- foundlingAbandoned child discovered
- strayWander from course
street child · neglected · abandoned · forsaken · vulnerable · helpless · innocent · lost
Ripped and worn out
- shabbyWorn and neglected
- threadbareWorn until transparent
- wornDamaged by use
- frayedUnraveled at edges
disheveled · scruffy · grubby · dingy · filthy · grimy · unwashed · unkempt
Rejected, shunned person
- marginalizedPushed to society's edges
- ostracizedExcluded from a group
- shunnedPersistently avoided socially
- rejectedRefused or turned away
alienated · misfit · undesirable · banished · excluded · stigmatized · forgotten · lowborn
Practical shrewdness
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- resourcefulSkilled at solving problems
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- wilySkilled at deception
shrewd · quick-witted · street-smart · crafty · clever · adaptable · survival · scrounging
waif
Abandoned, neglected child
- ragamuffinShabby, unkempt child
- orphanChild whose parents died
- foundlingAbandoned child discovered
stray · street child · neglected · abandoned · forsaken · vulnerable · helpless · innocent · lost · alone
tattered
Ripped and worn out
- shabbyWorn and neglected
- threadbareWorn until transparent
- wornDamaged by use
frayed · disheveled · scruffy · grubby · dingy · filthy · grimy · unwashed · unkempt · bedraggled
pariah
Rejected, shunned person
- marginalizedPushed to society's edges
- ostracizedExcluded from a group
- shunnedPersistently avoided socially
rejected · alienated · misfit · undesirable · banished · excluded · stigmatized · forgotten · lowborn · dispossessed
savvy
Practical shrewdness
- cunningSly, scheming cleverness
- resourcefulSkilled at solving problems
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
wily · shrewd · quick-witted · street-smart · crafty · clever · adaptable · survival · scrounging · hustling
guttersnipesaristocrats
Hereditary ruling class
blue bloods · patricians · debutantes · heirs · trust fund kids