peaky blinder

Etymology
From the name of a street gang in Birmingham, the, who got their name From the peaked caps their members wore, and from or from the practice of pulling a victims hat over his eyes so that he could not identify his attacker. There is a folk etymology claiming the "blinder" part of the name comes from the practice of stitching razor blades or weights into the peak of the cap and using it as a weapon to blind one's opponent, but this has been shown to be apocryphal.

Noun

 * 1)  A member of the Peaky Blinders gang. They operated in Birmingham from the end of the 19th century until after the First World War. Gang members had a distinctive appearance: close-cropped hair, bell-bottomed trousers, peaked caps, and a white scarf knotted at the throat.
 * 2)  A peaked cap like that worn by a peaky blinder, especially when worn with the peak pulled down to the side of the head.
 * 3)  Any ruffian or street gang member.
 * 1)  A peaked cap like that worn by a peaky blinder, especially when worn with the peak pulled down to the side of the head.
 * 2)  Any ruffian or street gang member.
 * 1)  A peaked cap like that worn by a peaky blinder, especially when worn with the peak pulled down to the side of the head.
 * 2)  Any ruffian or street gang member.
 * 1)  Any ruffian or street gang member.
 * 1)  Any ruffian or street gang member.
 * 1)  Any ruffian or street gang member.

Usage notes
The description of stitching razor-blades or weights into the peak of the cap and using it as a weapon has been shown to be apocryphal.