A Bad Egg / A Good Egg (Origin)

What Is the Origin of the Saying "A Bad Egg / A Good Egg"?

Meaning decent and dependable (good egg) or not reliable or corrupt (bad egg), the term bad egg was first used in the novel "Captain Priest" by Samuel A Hammett. These metaphors in the novel was greatly studied in the 20th century and was used to describe the decent people as good eggs.

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