Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) an unpleasant, objectionable person.

1866		Wild Boys of London I 164/1: Clear out, you ugly swipes, or I’ll break hevery cussed head I comes against!
1894		Star-Gaz. (Elmira, NY) 15 May 4/3: Yale College Slang [...] ‘Swipes’ and ‘greasy grinds’ are the hoi polloi of the class.
1900		E.H. Babbitt ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 65: swipe, n. One who tries to curry favor.
1929		B. Duffy Rocky Road 111: That fellow is a down-right bad lot, and your sympathy is wasted on a swipe like him.
1930		R.E. Howard ‘Winner Take All’ Fight Stories July 🌐 I wouldn’t [...] be abused by such swipes as tried to slit my gullet tonight.
1949		K. Amis letter 6 Oct. in Leader (2000) 216: What a priggish little ’swipe that Roderick is.
1955		E. Abbey Brave Cowboy (1958) 87: You swipes, you crumbs, you bloody jag-offs.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 205: swipe Objectionable person, whom you might take a swipe at. ANZ 1920s.

2. objectionable people considered collectively.

1929

D.H. Lawrence ‘Altercation’ Pansies 109: And do you think it’s my business to be handing out money to a lot of inferior swipe?