Hobo Lore, pt. 2

I don't know if there's any kind of a Hobo Code or anything, but I'm guessing there is. The primary law is probably something like "A hobo always looks out for other hoboes." If there's one thing hoboes love, it's other hoboes.

Case in point: when a hobo stops at a railyard or switching station, he can be sure his brother hoboes have left notification of what conditions exist there via the elaborate Hobo Symbol Lexicon. You can check it out here, here, and here.

If you're trampin though, the hope is that you'll come upon a brother who'll just tell you this stuff in person and maybe offer you some chow. No doubt your campfire chat will employ plentiful hobo slang. Yes, hoboes too have their own dialects and colloquialisms. Examples - -

Beefer - One who whines. Also an informer.
Biscuit shooter - Camp waiter or hash slinger. Also a flunkey.
Bitch - An improvised candle
Candle eaters - Term used for the Russians.
Flannel mouth - An Irishman. Sometimes called a chaw.
Honey dipping - Working as a shovel stiff in a sewer
Hooker - A drink of strong liquor.
Hoop chisler - A peddler of worthless rings and watches.
Mush rigger - An umbrella mender.
Pig iron dump - A hardware store.
Ready-mades - Store-bought cigarettes.
Wangy - Disguised begging by selling shoestrings.
Wind pudding - Air (having nothing to eat is living on wind pudding).
Speed balls - Wine or sherry wine.
Tiger milk - Some sort of liquor.

Lots more examples here, here, here, and here.

My goal is to bring some of this terminology into regular everyday use. You know, like this - -

"Honey, we really should have the Murphys over for some speed balls. Of course, they are flannel mouths, so they'll probably want a hooker of tiger milk. "

Or, "I'm trying to flag down the biscuit shooter so he can light our bitch."

Or, "Don't be a beefer, I'll get you a fresh pack of ready-mades at the next stop."

Any other suggestions?

Finally today, another hobo song. Gillian Welch & David Rawling's cover of 60's folk-singer, Eric Andersen's "Dusty Box Car Wall." This track is a b-side from the CD single of Welch's "Pass You By."

You can download it here.

Lyrics:

(Chorus)
I'm going away my baby,
I'm going to leave you honey pie.
That train passed by and you lay sleeping.
I'm going to write you a letter on a dusty box car wall.

Now the only two things that a gambler needs is a suitcase and a trunk.
And the only time that he's satisfied is when he's on the drunk.

(Chorus)

I once loved a boy in Cincinatti,
I loved a boy in sunny Tennessee.
Now a city boy will fill your heart with sadness,
But a country boy's as good as he can be.

(Chorus)

COMING SOON in the FINAL hobo post: Nate picks a hobo name! Hobo movies! Another hobo song!