JACKLEG
Etymology
Compare blackleg (a person who replaces striking workers; a cheater) and such expressions as jack of all trades, every man jack.
Adjective
jackleg (not comparable)
(US) Amateur, untrained; incompetent.
(US) Dishonest, unscrupulous.
(US) Ineptly built or operated; makeshift.
Noun
jackleg (plural jacklegs)
A type of drill operated by means of compressed air.
(US) An amateur; an untrained or incompetent person.
(US) A shyster or con artist; a gambler who cheats; a generally dishonest or reprehensible person.
Usage notes
Although the term most often carries negative connotations (inept, dishonest), it may also have positive ones (self-taught expert, hands-on learner). Occasionally it is used as a generic pejorative intensifier, equivalent to damn, out-and-out, etc, e.g. a jackleg crook, a jackleg bastard.
Source: Wiktionary
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