Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) a beggar who worked with a female companion, posing as man and wife and complete with counterfeit marriage licence; he might deliberately poison himself with ratsbane or spearwort (arsenic) to raise impressive sores.

c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 45: These Palliardes be called also Clapperdogens: these go with patched clokes, and haue their Morts with them, which they cal wiues; and if he goe to one house, to aske his almes, his wife shall goe to a nother: for what they get [...] they sell the same for redy money.
1599		Greene George-A-Greene E4: You whooreson cowardly scabbe, It is but the part of a clapperdudgeon To strike a man in the streete.
1608		Dekker Belman of London (3rd) D1: A Palliard [...] likewise is cal’d a Clapperdugeon [...] caries about him (for feare of the worst) a Certificate (vnder a Ministers hand with the parishes name, which shall be sure to stand farre enough) where this Mort and hee were marryed.
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 6: At this newes the whole company of Clapperdudgions, were indifferently well resolued.
1626		Jonson Staple of News II i: What? a clapper-dudgeon! That’s a good sign, to have a beggar follow him so near.
1638		Rowley Shoo-maker, a Gentleman Act IV: Thou art a Coxcombe and a Claperdudgion.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II i: See, in their rags, then, dauncing for your sports, / Our Clapper Dugeons and their walking Morts.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 36: A health went round to the Prince of Maunders, another to the Great Duke of Clapperdogeons.
1674		Head Canting Academy (2nd edn) 4: Nor will I suffer him [...] to be abused by any strange Abrams, Rufflers, Hookers, Palliards, Swadlars, Irish Toyls, Swig-men, Whip-Jacks, Jark-men, Bawdy-baskets, Dommerars, Clapperdogeons, Patricoes, or Curtalls.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] Clapperdogion, a Beggar born.
1707		J. Shirley Triumph of Wit 183: The Paillard or Clapperdogeons, are those that have been brought up to Beg from their Infancy, and frequently counterfeit Lameness, making their Legs, Arms, and Hands, appear to be Sore, and very Nauseous, with Cream and Blood, Butter and Soup, Ointments and Corrosives, and sometimes by putting on counterfeit lame Legs, and false wither’d Arms, making of horrible wry Faces, and setting off their Story of being Shot, Burnt, Scalded, Perish’d with the Evil, and the like; with a lamentable Voice, and for the most part they carry Children about with them, which they frequently hire of poor Nurses for so much a Week, the better to move Compassion.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 204: Clapperdogeon, a beggar born and bred.
1728		Defoe Street Robberies Considered 31: Clapper Dudgeon, a Beggar born.
1741		Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 114: A beggar born A Clapperdugion.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 15: Born a Beggar – Clapperdogeon.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Clapperdogeon, a beggar born, (cant).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1822		Life and Trial of James Mackcoull 299: She never see’d or knowed the cull before – who touted as seedy as a clapperdudgeon.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.
1863		G.A. Sala Strange Adventures of Captain Dangerous 225: Rogues, thieves [...] and Clapperdudgeons [...] infested the outskirts of the Old Palace.

2. a general term of abuse.

1600		Dekker Shoemakers’ Holiday I iv: wife: Simon it is almost seven. eyre: Is’t so dame clapper dudgeon, is’t seven a clocke, and my mens breakefast not readie? trip and goe you sowst cunger, away.
1705–07		N. Ward Hudibras Redivivus I:5 10: Says he, There is an old Curmudgeon, / A hum-drum, preaching, Clapperdudgeon.
1834		‘Jack Downing’ Andrew Jackson 125: They had bin coker’d with the notion that the damn Yankees were a parcel of clapperdogens.