Literary notes about rapscallion (AI summary)
The term rapscallion in literature frequently doubles as both a playful admonishment and an affectionate label for a roguish character. Authors use it to evoke a sense of mischief and irreverence, as when a character is chided for their unpredictable conduct in spirited dialogue [1] or when a seafaring adventurer is humorously celebrated for his impish nature [2]. At times, the word hints at a deeper moral ambiguity—portraying figures capable of both charming antics and questionable deeds [3]—while in other contexts it softens a critique with a tone of bemused indulgence [4]. Overall, rapscallion enriches character dynamics by offering a witty commentary on the vicissitudes of human nature [5], [6].
- "You rapscallion," Pat Mack whispered, as the two came together in the embrace of a particularly tough creeper, "how did you ever get here?
— from Boy Scouts in the Philippines; Or, The Key to the Treaty Box by G. Harvey (George Harvey) Ralphson - This sea yarn recounts the adventures of three rapscallion seafaring men.
— from Laughing Last by Jane Abbott - His master would give him his daughter in a minute, but the rapscallion won't have her.
— from Black Forest Village Stories by Berthold Auerbach - Bendigo was a bit of rapscallion, certainly; but he was a born clown, with the keenest sense of fun, which lasted almost to his dying day.
— from Knuckles and Gloves by Bohun Lynch - "Wait till I get hold of you, you rapscallion."
— from Tom Moore: An Unhistorical Romance Founded on Certain Happenings in the Life of Ireland's Greatest Poet by Theodore Burt Sayre - But the poor rapscallion had a heart larger than many honest, painstaking men.
— from Lucretia — Volume 03 by Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
