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hobo

"I'm not a vagrant... I'm a hobo. Big difference."

"Maybe you'll end up like me, a hobo with a shotgun."
by natalie portmanteaux January 27, 2021
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hobo

1. Originally referred to poor, homeless itinerant workers in the USA. These original hobos travelled from town to town seeking temporary employment, usually along the lines of physical labour. They are traditionally associated with freighthopping (illegally riding in the carriages of freight trains). See also drifter, vagabond and okie.

2. Nowadays commonly used throughout the English-speaking world to refer to any homeless person. See also bum, tramp and beggar.
Traditional hobos are often romanticized in popular culture, for example in the books "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck and "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac and in the music of Woody Guthrie.

The portrayal of modern homeless people, however, is usually much less favourable, with a widespread belief that homelessness is self-inflicted and that these "bums" should "just get jobs".
by backpacker_x2 March 2, 2011
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a hobo is an itinerant worker, a career which sprang up during the depression. A hobo, unlike a bum or a tramp, is more than willing to work, but mostly for a short duration, as their main impetus is travel, the love of the journey above the actual destination. A bum is stationary, feeding off of those unfortunate enough to cross his path; a hobo merely travels from town to town, finding work when he can, but only for the sake of financing his next adventure. NEVER call a hobo a bum...they'll kick your sorry no-bo ass!
"When I first started hobo'in,
I took a freight train to be my friend
-John Lee Hooker
by hoboerotic August 12, 2004
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Hobo

Hobos are a peaceful people.Being homeless and pennyless, similar to MC Hammer. They go place to place taking money from people for doing odd jobs, whether it be pulling weeds, kiiling roaches, cleaning roach poop, or eating roaches.

They're like uh...drifters. Telling stories to whoever they can
Boy: Grandpa! What are those carving symbols?

Grandpa: You see here son, these be hobo signs! This here sign means, there's work for cornbread 2 blocks up.
Hobos LOVE cornbread...
by Christopher Ess August 8, 2005
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hobo

A free man/woman who is no longer trapped in the society of capitalism and time. He/she can go to sleep whenever he/she wants to, and do anything.
Hobos are good at recycling dumpstered food that huge coporations throws out.
That hobo just found a whole bag of pies in our dumpster!
by Exorph May 26, 2004
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a hobo spends their time riding the rails and is happy with a bottle of beer a gutair and some friends. hobos are not at all to be confused with bumbs and tramps because they are unhappy and bitter about their homeless state and hobos are happy and they make the best of their situation
nothin beats the hobo life stabbin folks with my hobo knife
by hobo man February 5, 2004
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hobo

the most kickass people in the world, also the coolest job in the world.

someone who could do something with their lives but don't want to.
I would rather be a hobo
by matt dold January 15, 2004
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