Tramping with Tramps Part 24

CROAK: to die, or to kill.

CROCUS: a doctor.

CROOK: a professional criminal. "Crooked work" means thieving.

DEAD: reformed. A "dead" criminal is either discouraged or reformed.

DICER: a hat.

DIP: a pickpocket.

DITCH, or BE DITCHED: to get into trouble, or to fail at what one has undertaken. To be "ditched" when riding on trains means to be put off, or to get locked into a car.

DOPE, THE: the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

DOSS: _noun_, sleep; _verb_, to sleep.

DOSS-HOUSE: a lodging-house.

DUMP: a lodging-house or restaurant; synonymous with "hang-out."

ELBOW: a detective.

FAWNY MAN: a peddler of bogus jewelry.

FENCE: a receiver of stolen goods.

FINGER: } FLATTY: } a Policeman; synonymous with "bull."

FLAGGED: when a man is said by criminals or tramps to be "flagged," it means that he is permitted to go unmolested.

FLICKER: _noun_, a faint; _verb_, to faint or pretend to faint.

GAG: any begging trick.

GALWAY: a Catholic priest.

GAY-CAT: an amateur tramp who works when his begging courage fails him.

GHOST-STORY: any statement or report that is not true. When told to young boys it means a "faked" story of tramp life.

GRAFT: a line of business; synonymous with "spiel."

GRAFTER: a pickpocket.

GUN: a fellow; more or less synonymous with "bloke," "stiff,"

"mug," and "plug."

GUY: a fellow.

HAND-OUT: a bundle of food handed out to a beggar at the back door.

HANG-OUT: the hobo's home.

HIT THE ROAD: to go tramping.

HOBO: a tramp. Derivation obscure. Farmer's "Americanisms" gives: "HO-BOY, or HAUT-BOY: a New York night-scavenger."

HOISTER, or HYSTER: a shoplifter.

HOOSIER: a "farmer." Everybody who does not know the world as the hobo knows it is to him a "farmer," "hoosier," or outsider.

HORN, THE: a triangular extension of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, running from Red Oak, Iowa, southwest some twenty miles, and then northwest to Pacific Junction on the main line.

HORSTILE: angry, unfriendly, hostile.

JIGGER: a sore, artificially made, to excite sympathy.

JIGGERED: "done," beaten. When used as an exclamation, as in "I'll be jiggered," it means "I'll be d.a.m.ned," or words to that effect.

JOCKER: a tramp who travels with a boy and "jockers" him--trains him as a beggar and protects him from persecution by others.

JOINT: practically, any place where tramps congregate, drink, and feel at home.

KIP-HOUSE: a lodging-house.

KIP TOWN: a good lodging-house town.

LEATHER: a pocket-book. "To reef a leather" means that the pickpocket pulls out the lining of a pocket containing the "leather"; this is frequently the best way of capturing a pocket-book.

LIGHTHOUSE: one who knows every detective by sight, and can "tip him off" to his comrades.

MAIN GUY: the leader.

MARK: a person or house "good" for food, clothes, or money.

MEAL-TICKET: a person "good" for a meal.

MONIKEY: the tramp's nickname, as "New Orleans Blackie,"

"Mississippi Red," etc.

MOOCH: to beg; also, to "light out," "clear out."

MOOCHER: a beggar. This word is the generic term for tramps in England.

MUG: _noun_, a fellow; _verb_, to photograph.

MUSH-FAKIR: an umbrella-mender. The umbrellas which he collects are frequently not returned.