hobo synonymous with panhandler or beggar

[Joel S. Berson]

At 4/1/2012 04:24 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>John is right about the connotations of "migrant worker," especially since
>_The Grapes of Wrath_.
>
>A hobo, however,  was usually an itinerant or migratory worker rather than
>a sponger of some sort. The hobo's most salient characteristic was probably
>that he generally traveled by hopping Western freights.
>
>The tramp was a more local character, and the bum or loafer more local
>still.

That is -- a hobo rode the train, a tramp walked, and a bum lolled on his ... .

Joel

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