also: よたもん
hooligan; layabout; good-for-nothing; gangster
Colloquial, somewhat dated term for a young troublemaker, loafer, or petty criminal. Often used with a derogatory or dismissive tone.
Be careful around there; hooligans hang out in that area.
彼は若い頃、与太者だったらしい。
Apparently he was a good-for-nothing in his youth.
Standard kanji spelling; also read よたもん.
Old character form; search-only.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; less common but seen.
Alternate reading; often written in kana.
The origin is uncertain. 与太 may be related to 与太る (yotaru, 'to idle') or 与太 (yota, 'nonsense'), but the exact derivation is unclear. The word has been used since the Edo period to refer to idlers and petty criminals.