Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A man who seeks casual work while traveling about carrying his swag.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A seller of low-priced trashy goods, trinkets, etc.
- noun A man who travels in search of employment: so called because he carries his swag, or bundle of clothes, blanket, etc. Also swags-man, swagger.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A bushman carrying a swag and traveling on foot; -- called also
swagsman ,swagger , andswaggie .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Australia, historical An
itinerant person who walks from farm to farm carrying aswag and seeking work, often in exchange for food and lodging. - noun US, slang A
fence , a middleman for transactions of stolen goods.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an itinerant Australian laborer who carries his personal belongings in a bundle as he travels around in search of work
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The existence of the swagman is the happiest vagrant's life in the world.
Tramping on Life Kemp, Harry, 1883-1960 1922
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The existence of the swagman is the happiest vagrant's life in the world.
Tramping on Life An Autobiographical Narrative Harry Kemp 1921
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In any case, though I had not thought about the matter before, I guess the jolly swagman was a sheep rustler, wasn't he?
Publisher attacks readers who complain about sloppy editing Peter Rozovsky 2010
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Also characteristic of swagman attire was a hat strung with corks to ward off flies.
invisible waltz partner - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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A swagman also called tussocker is an old Australian term describing an underclass of transient temporary workers, who travelled by foot from farm to farm carrying the traditional swag.
invisible waltz partner - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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But the swagman he up and jumped in the water hole
australian bobsleigh team - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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OH hai, LadyM…once a jolly swagman, camped by a billagong, under da shade ub a kooliba tree and he sang as sat an wayted wile his billy boiled, yull come a waltzing matilda wif me…happy to refresh da eerwurm fur ya!
Someday my prints will come… - Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? 2008
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Oh there once was a swagman who camped in the billabong
Waltzing Matilda 2007
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And the swagman he up and he jumped in the waterhole
Waltzing Matilda 2007
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And the swagman he up and he jumped in the waterhole
Archive 2007-08-01 2007
chained_bear commented on the word swagman
Australia/New Zealand: a man who travels with a swag or bedroll. See also waltzing matilda.
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree.
--A.B. Paterson, "Waltzing Matilda"
Edit: Another usage on bluey.
February 7, 2007