hobos, tramps and bums

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 02/15/2002 5:59:48 PM Eastern Standard Time,
george.thompson at NYU.EDU writes:

> From the NYTimes, February 14, 2002, p. D5, col. 1 (the Sports section).
>
>  Many tramps define homelessness in these ways: A hobo travels and
>  works; a tramp travels and drinks; a bum drinks and does nothing.

I think the NY Times got its definitions crossed.

"tranp" has several meanings, one of which is a migratory WORKER.  Older NY
Tmes people may remember the era of the "tramp printer", someone who
travelled from place to place, periodically working at printing shops to get
money.  It was considered an honorable profession.  I presume that print
shops were perpetually short-handed and were in the habit of depending on
skilled workers walking in the door.
And of course there are "tramp ships" which are not seagoing whorehouses but
rather ships that travel as cargo is available rather than running on fixed
schedules.

"hobo" in my experience is never used for a migratory WORKER.  A hobo is a
travelling vagrant.  Traditionally hobos traveled by slipping onto freight
cars.

"bum" can be applied to someone who migrates, but most often is applied to
someone who commits vagrancy or other social sins without travelling.

"A tramp is a migratory worker.  A hobo is a migratory non-worker.  A bum is
a non-migratory non-worker" is the way I heard it.

      - Jim Landau