swell mob
Noun (historical slang, 19th century British English):
A group or class of thieves, pickpockets, or criminals who dress in fashionable, expensive clothing to blend in with wealthy society and avoid detection. The term "swell" refers to someone stylishly dressed, and "mob" means a crowd or gang.
- (A gang of well-dressed criminals.)
- (A group of thieves who use fashionable clothing as a disguise.)
"to be part of the swell mob": to belong to a criminal network that uses refined appearance as a cover.
- The pickpocket was arrested, but his membership in the swell mob meant he had many accomplices. (He was part of a sophisticated criminal group.)
"swell mob" as a historical term: Often used in Victorian-era literature and police reports to describe a specific criminal subculture.
- Charles Dickens occasionally referenced the swell mob in his novels. (The term appears in works about London's underworld.)
Swell (adj, slang): stylish, fashionable, or excellent.
- He wore a swell suit to the opera. (He wore an elegantly fashionable suit.)
Mob (n): a large, disorderly crowd, or (slang) a criminal gang.
- The mob gathered in the square. (A crowd of people.)
- Genteel thieves: criminals who appear refined or upper-class.
- Flash mob (modern, unrelated): a sudden public gathering, but note the historical "flash" also meant showy or stylish in 19th-century slang.
"To dress to the nines": to wear very stylish or formal clothing (similar to the appearance of the swell mob).
- He was dressed to the nines, just like a member of the swell mob. (He was impeccably dressed.)
"A wolf in sheep's clothing": someone who appears harmless or respectable but is actually dangerous or criminal.
- The swell mob were wolves in sheep's clothing. (They used elegant clothes to hide their criminal nature.)