Chris O’Brien brought Hobo’s to my attention today.
After doing a little bit of research on the Internet, I discovered this:
“Hobos have been traveling the US and riding the rails since the Civil War. The romanticized image of the hobo peaked during the depression of the 1930’s, when many took to the rails in a desperate search for work. It must be noted that a hobo differs from a tramp or a bum. Most hobos would agree that a hobo works and wanders, the tramp dreams and wanders and the bum drinks and wanders.”
And here is some of the Hobo lingo in use up to the 1940’s:
Angelina = A young kid
Bone polisher = A mean dog
C, H and D = Indicates that the person was cold, hungry and dry
Chuck a dummy = Pretend to feint
Elevated = Under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Glad Rags = One’s best clothes
Honey dipping = Working in the sewers with a shovel
Jungle Buzzard = A hobo or tramp who preys on his own
Knowledge Bus = A school bus used for shelter
Sky pilot = A preacher or minister
Tokay blanket = Drinking alcohol to stay warm
This is a Hobo Code chart, a series of communicative marks one Hobo would leave for the next:
Behind the school house a hobo code warns that authorities are about.