It's a wonderful word, Otis. A scallywag in a rascal. Originally, as Rooster pointed out, it had a harsh meaning but these days we mostly apply it to precocious children.
Now if you'd asked about rascal instead, I'd have given a different answer. The Rascal (actually Raskol) gangs of Papua-New Guinea are deadly.
Skallywag is what I call my 15 year old cousin.
From Urban Dictionary and it fits !
A term used in the old red light districts of Europe, referring to a scoundrel, troublemaker, or outlaw (or a troublemaker even among outlaws).
A Skallywag is a dagger.
A person of dubious character.
My 55yr old younger brother who has been in and out of drug rehab for 30 yrs.
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