perp
n.— «I…drew up near a large man in a red shirt, who was holding an ugly looking, short ear bull pup by the collar.…Blood was on the ground, and both dogs were bleeding when I came up. “I’ll bet yer ten ounces ter two thet this perp is the boss,” said the young fellow.» —“Only An Adventure” by F.O. Van Galder Southern Immigrant (Cullman, Ala.) Oct. 3, 1878. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If you speak a second or third language, you may remember the first time you dreamed in that new tongue. But does this milestone mean you’re actually fluent? And a couple’s dispute over the word regret: Say you wish you’d been able...