Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a cheat; a dissembler.

c.1778		H. Brooke ‘On Humbugging’ in Chalmers Eng. Poets XVII (1810) 428/1: Why, honest friends, should we ramble and roam To look for humbuggers so distant from home? [...] once, a whole house of humbuggers was seen In a place – let me think – ay – ’t is call’d College-green!
1793		Sporting Mag. Apr. II 42/2: Whether should a drag of a red herring and a rasher of bacon well soaked with oil of aniseed, be landed in a covert about a quarter of an hour before the time of the hounds throwing off (by some fashionable humbugger) [etc.].
1830		Wexford Chron. 20 Nov. 6/4: More humbuggers. A Meeting of those theoogical chapmen who hawk their spiritual wares town to town [...] was held in Waterford.
1840		Morn. Post (London) 6 Jan. 7/1: Daugherty was again called to the chair and the humbugger said he would postpone the simultaneous meetings.
1851		Bell’s Life in London 8 June 5/4: Hurroo begor, you’re a jewel uv an ould humbugger!

2. a hoaxer.

1984

Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 581/1: from ca. 1752; ob.

3. one who ‘plays about’ all the time.

1842

S. Lover Handy Andy 154: I’ll strangle you, if you don’t play this minute, you humbugger.