Word of the Day

: July 25, 2008

bindle stiff

noun BIN-dul-stiff

What It Means

: hobo; especially : one who carries his clothes or bedding in a bundle

bindle stiff in Context

Jack London's experiences as a bindle stiff in the early 1890s later provided material for his writing.

Did You Know?

In the argot of tramps and hoboes, a roll of clothes and bedding was called a "bindle," a word that probably originated as an alteration of the more familiar "bundle." "Stiff" itself can mean "hobo" or "migrant worker," meanings it took on in the late 19th century. About the same time, any tramp or hobo who habitually carried such a pack was known as a "bindle stiff." In Australia, a pack-carrying hobo might be called a "swagman."