Brewer's: Swell Mob

The better-dressed thieves and pickpockets. A “swell” is a person showily dressed; one who puffs himself out beyond his proper dimensions, like the frog in the fable.

Source: Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Related Content