User:Tmangray/Hoodlum

Hoodlum is a term for a street tough in the U.S. According to Asbury, the author of Gangs of New York who also wrote a book on San Francisco's Barbary Coast section (The Barbary Coast), it originated in San Francisco in the mid to late 19th century from a local newspaper's rendering of a gang's call to fight, i.e. "huddle 'em". "Hoodlum" can also be compared to saying that one is like a gangster.

In later years, the term was often shortened to "hood", not to be confused with the shortened form of "neighborhood", nor with "hoodie".