Tramping with Tramps: Studies and Sketches of Vagabond Life

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 damned," 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.

Office: to "give the office" is to give a signal to a confederate. It is usually done by raising the hat.

On the Hog: on the tramp; also, "busted," "dead broke."

P. A.: Pennsylvania.

Paper: stocks and bonds.

Pen: a penitentiary

Pennsylvania Salve: apple-butter.

Pennyweighters: jewelry thieves.

Peter: a safe thief. "Knock-out drops" are also "peter."

Phillie: Philadelphia.

Plug: a fellow; synonymous with "bloke" and "stiff."

Poke-Out: a lunch; synonymous with "hand-out."

Pound the Ear: to sleep.

Prushun: a tramp boy. An "ex-prushun" is one who has served his apprenticeship as a "kid" and is "looking for revenge," i. e., for a lad that he can "snare" and "jocker," as he himself was "snared" and "jockered."

Punk and Plaster: bread and butter.

Push: a gang.

Q.: the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, popularly known as the C. B. & Q.

Queer, The: counterfeit money.

Repeater, or Revolver: an old-timer; a professional criminal and a "blowed-in-the-glass" tramp.

Ringer: a bell.

Rube: a "hoosier," or "farmer."

Saps: a clubbing with weapons made from saplings; synonymous with "timber." (See below.)

Scoff: noun, food, "nourishment"; verb, to "feed," to "gorge."

Scrapper: a victim of either tramps or criminals who "puts up a fight."

Screw: a prison turnkey.

Set-Down: a square meal.

Settled: in prison.

Shack: a brakeman.

Shatin' on me Uppers: to be "shatin'" on one's "uppers" is to be "dead broke."

Shove: a gang.

Shover: a man who passes counterfeit money.

Side-Door Pullman: a box-car.

Sinker: a dollar; synonymous with "ball."

Slope: to run away.

Slopping-Up: a big drunk.

Snare: to entice a boy into tramp life.

Sneaks: flat or house thieves. A bank sneak is a bank thief.

Snipe: cigar-butts – the favorite tobacco among hoboes.

Song and Dance: a begging story or trick.

Spark: a diamond.

Spiel: something to peddle. Hoboes often carry needles, pins, court-plaster, and the like. On meeting one another, they ask: "What's your spiel?" ("What are you hawking?") (See "graft.")

Spiked: upset, chagrined, disappointed, disgusted.

Squealer: one who gives away the gang.

Stake-Man: a fellow who holds a position only long enough to get a "stake" – enough money to keep him in "booze" and tobacco while he is on the road. The tramps call him a "gay-cat."

Stall: the pickpocket's companion.

Stiff: a fellow; synonymous with "bloke" and "plug."

Sucker: a victim of both tramps and criminals.

Throw the Feet: to beg, "hustle," or do anything that involves much action.

Timber: a clubbing at the hands of the toughs of a town unfriendly to tramps. (See "Saps.")

Tomato-Can Vag: the outcast of Hoboland; a tramp of the lowest order, who drains the dregs of a beer-barrel into an empty tomato-can and drinks them; he generally lives on the refuse that he finds in scavenger barrels.

Toot the Ringer: ring the bell.

Turf: the road, or low life in general.

Turf It: to be on the road.

Yap: noun, a farmer or "hoosier"; verb, to say or to tell.

York: New York city.