guttersnipe

In the past, words or phrases deemed to have stepped over the line include "impertinent dog", "cad", "blethering", "guttersnipe" and "git".

The website of Britain’s Parliament lists several other words that have, in the long history of vituperation in the House of Commons, led to objections: “blackguard, coward, git, guttersnipe, hooligan, rat, swine, stool pigeon and traitor” — most of which were probably last uttered a couple of centuries back.

By this juncture, the only thing we know for sure is that Ferrara, bless his guttersnipe soul, is still bracingly, adamantly himself.

“What are we going to do,” the queen despaired, “about my sister’s guttersnipe life?”

Voters who declared themselves undecided in pre-debate interviews with The Washington Post emerged from Tuesday’s 90-minute schoolyard melee with some more clarity about their choice, but mainly with overwhelming sadness and disappointment over the candidates’ guttersnipe manners and unseemly language.