Tudor & Stuart · insult · noun
Slubberdegullion
SLUB-er-dih-GULL-ee-un /ˌslʌbədɪˈɡʌlɪən/pronunciation given by a dictionary
First recorded1610s
A slobbering, dirty, slovenly fellow; a worthless wretch. Built on 'slubber' (to smear, to do things sloppily) with a fanciful ending, perhaps meant to sound French (the ending's origin is uncertain).
Where it was first recorded
Dated by Etymonline (1610s), which does not name the work.
Also spelled: slabberdegullion, slobberdegullion, slubber de gullion
In its own time
Quoth she, Although thou hast deserv'd Base slubberdegullion, to be serv'd As thou did'st vow to deal with me,
Today
Modern exampleThe slubberdegullion left his pizza boxes in the hallway for a week.
Fine to use; a gloriously long, comic word for a slob.
Questions
What does slubberdegullion mean?
A slobbering, dirty, slovenly fellow; a worthless wretch. Built on 'slubber' (to smear, to do things sloppily) with a fanciful ending, perhaps meant to sound French (the ending's origin is uncertain).
When was slubberdegullion first used?
It is first recorded 1610s.
Can you still use slubberdegullion today?
Fine to use; a gloriously long, comic word for a slob.
Sources
- slubberdegullion — Online Etymology Dictionary
- Slubberdegullion — Farmer & Henley, Slang and Its Analogues, via WEHD
- slubberdegullion — Merriam-Webster
- Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 ed.) — Francis Grose (Project Gutenberg #5402)
- slubberdegullion — Dictionary.com (Collins)
- Hudibras — Samuel Butler (Project Gutenberg #4937, read via the pglaf mirror)
Checked 2026-09-30 · verdict: attested — found in the dictionaries and texts listed above