bindle stiff en · NOUN
Etymology
From bindle, a hobo’s sack.
Meanings
-
A hobo, misfit, criminal, wanderer, or drifting harvest worker.
He felt like a toss-up between a bindle stiff and a skid row derelict.
1983, Clive Cussler, “Pacific Vortex!”, in Dirk Pitt Series, volume 1, Random House LLC, →ISBN, page 80:“So maybe you better jus’ scatter along now, ’cause Curley maybe ain’t gonna like his wife out in the barn with us ‘bindle stiffs.’ ”
1937, John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men, Covici Friede:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| bindle stiffs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |