Street
yegg
What does yegg mean?
A yegg is a safe-breaker or burglar, historically a wandering criminal who moved between towns cracking safes. The term is closely tied to early-1900s tramp culture.
"The old yegg had blown more small-town bank safes than anyone the detectives could name."
Origin
American, c.1900; often linked to a bank robber's alias 'John Yegg,' though possibly from a Chinatown dialect word 'yekk' meaning beggar.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 'yegg'?
A yegg is a safe-breaker or burglar, historically a wandering criminal who travelled between towns cracking safes, closely tied to early-1900s tramp culture.
Where does the word 'yegg' come from?
It is American, dating to around 1900. It is often linked to a bank robber's alias 'John Yegg', though it may derive from a dialect word 'yekk' meaning beggar.
Is 'yegg' still used today?
It is largely a historical term now, associated with the tramp-and-safecracker world of the early twentieth century rather than modern crime.
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