I love this word so much that a friend made me a t-shirt embellished with it. I found it, appropriately enough, while playing dictionary with a 10-year-old girlfriend. According to the old dictionary we were using it means "an impudent or mischievous girl or woman." I like it because there are lots of words that describe men with these characteristics, but so few for women. When I asked around if anyone else had heard of this word, the two or three who had thought it meant slut!

So, I'd like to redeem and resusitate this forgotten gem, and encourage hoydens everywhere. Hoyden power!