gypsy, adj. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

gypsy adj.

[the negative image of the Romanies]

1. (W.I.) interfering, irritatingly inquisitive.

1926		E. Walrond Tropic Death (1972) 109: He say yo’ had no business to jook yo’ mout’ in de ruction yestiddy. Dat yo’ too gypsy.
1970		F. Collymore Notes for Gloss. of Barbadian Dial. 58: Why don’t you mind your own business? You too damn gypsy.

2. of a taxi-cab or driver, unlicensed.

1964		E. Wilson Earl Wilson’s N.Y. 36: You may the state police had believed that Connor was guilty of the murders but had given him a pass anyway even get a cab that isn’t a cab at all – a ‘gypsy’ or ‘bootleg hack,’ which is not medallioned (licensed).
1975		Sepe & Telano Cop Team 63: A ‘gypsy’ cab is an unlicensed taxi that operates illegally because the driver has not obtained a New York medallion license.
1983		J. Ciardi A Second Browser’s Dict. 123: Gypsy cab [...] A taxi that is supposed to operate in response to phone calls [...] but that ignores the law and cruises the streets for fares.
1987		T. Wolfe Bonfire of the Vanities 408: Martin and Goldberg found the gypsy cab operator, Brill.
1992		T. Williams Crackhouse 16: Drivers of unlicensed ‘gypsy’ cabs.

3. (also gipsy) independent of any organization, legal or otherwise.

1987		R. Campbell Alice in La-La Land (1999) 50: He’s a gypsy private ticket by the name of Whistler who works out of his hat.
2001		K. Sampson Outlaws (ms.) 32: So what’s his thingy here? Can only be a gipsy heist.

In compounds

gipsy ring (n.)

(UK und.) a worthless (brass) ring with a fake hallmark, used in the ring-dropping fraud.

1869

Sportsman (London) 22 Dec. 2/2: Notes on News [...] The ring, of course, was simply brass, and worth about 9d. It bore an imitation of a genuine hall mark, and was called in the trade a ‘gipsy ring’.

gypsy wire (n.)

(US police) an unauthorized wiretap.

1976		R. Daley To Kill a Cop 213: He could order a detective to install a gypsy wire [...] But a gypsy wire was an illegal wire, and the detective who got caught was guilty of a federal felony.
1996		J. Lardner Crusader 142: They were afraid that someone with David’s background would raise a ruckus about extralegal practices—Leuci mentioned the example of ‘gypsy wires,’ or unauthorized wiretaps.
2000		Lehr & O’Neill Black Mass 47: [T]he use of ‘gypsy wires’ had required agents to bend the rules of law, or even break them.