It originally described characteristics of men who were rude and violent, and the word came from a legend in which a long ago, a gatekeeper of Denbo-in Temple in Asakusa, Taito Ward, Tokyo, did not pay his fees and behaved outrageously at nearby shops and show tents, taking advantage of the privileges of being associated with the temple.
その昔、東京都台東区浅草の伝法院（でんぼういん）の門番が、寺の威光を笠に着て、近隣の小店や見世物小屋で、無銭利用や傍若無人な振る舞いをしたことから、粗野で乱暴者という意味であった。