'anglesmith' is a compound of 'angle' and 'smith.' 'Angle' in slang means 'a scheme or trick,' and 'smith' refers to someone who crafts or works with something.

'Anglesmith' emerged in American English slang in the late 19th to early 20th century, combining 'angle' (trick) and 'smith' (craftsman) to describe a person skilled in trickery.

Initially, it referred specifically to someone who used tricks in fishing, but it broadened to mean anyone who uses clever schemes to cheat or swindle.