riverboat gambler
Floating poker hustler
A riverboat gambler is someone who made a living playing cards on Mississippi River steamboats in the 19th century—often a sharper or con artist.
The term now describes anyone who takes bold risks with a certain rakish style: He had the confidence of a riverboat gambler.
It suggests charm mixed with questionable ethics.
- steamboatEngine-powered watercraft
- paddle wheelRotating blades for propulsion
- MississippiSouthern state or major river
- pokerHearth implement for coals
- poker faceIntentionally expressionless look
cards · dealt a hand · wild card · hustler · saloon · paddle · whiskey · bluff · high stakes · dandy · con man · stakes · showdown · deck · cigar · frontier · Mark Twain · rogue
riverboat gamblerpenny-pincher
Excessively frugal person
actuary · insurance adjuster · financial planner · tightwad · bean counter
riverboat gamblerstraight arrow
Honest, principled person
man of the cloth · preacher · pillar of the community · deacon · boy scout
riverboat gamblerhomesteader
One who settles wilderness land
farmer · shopkeeper · family man · factory worker · office clerk
river, boat, gamble, rivers, gambler, gamblers, gambling, gambled, riverboat