gallowsbird

gallowsbird (plural gallowsbirds)

1. Alternative form of gallows bird
   • 1710, The Sale of Joseph:

     Now leave my sight, begone, thou gallowsbird.

   • 1881, Daniel O'Connell, “His Encounter With Biddy Moriarty”, in James Edward McGee, editor, The Glories of Ireland- Volume IV, page 205:

     I'm none of your parry-bellygrums, you rascally gallowsbird ; you cowardly, sneaking, plate-lickin' bliggard

   • 1893, Stanley John Weyman, A Gentleman of France:

     An old black cloak nailed to the wall, and flapping to and fro in the draught like some dead gallowsbird, hung in front of the unglazed window.

   • 1953, Elsa Triolet, The Inspector of Ruins, page 12:

     A gallowsbird's luck, that's what I had.