swampern.
/ˈswɒmpə/ 1. U.S.
a. A workman who clears a road for lumberers in a ‘swamp’ or forest.
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the world > food and drink > farming > forestry or arboriculture > lumbering > [noun] > transport of logs > one who maintains logging roads
swamper1851
road monkey1885
1851 J. S. Springer Forest Life & Forest Trees 92 The swampers, who cut and clear the roads through the forest to the fallen trees.
a1862 H. D. Thoreau Maine Woods (1864) i. 44 The company consists of choppers, swampers,—who make roads,—barker and loader, teamster, and cook.
1880 Lumberman's Gaz. 28 Jan. A Wisconsin lumber-camp is divided into ‘choppers’, ‘sawyers’ and swampers.
b. A man-of-all-work in a liquor saloon. Also, an assistant to a cook.
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the world > food and drink > drink > providing or serving drink > [noun] > serving liquor > tapster or barmaid
tapsterc1000
drawer1379
wine-drawer1415
birlerc1440
shenkerc1440
trayer1473
tranter1500
skinker1575
lick-spigot1599
shot-shark1600
runner1601
skink1603
Hebe1606
Ganymede1608
squire of the gimlet1611
skinkard1615
bombard-man1616
bar-boy1631
faucet1631
tapstress1631
potman1652
barmaida1658
pot-boyc1662
tavern-drawer1709
tavern-boy1796
pot-girl1797
tap-boy1801
knight of the spigot1821
pewter-carrier1834
bartender1836
tap-waiter1836
barman1837
beer-boy1841
mixologist1856
bar-girl1857
mixer1858
gin slinger1871
swamper1907
tap-man1907
pot-woman1918
bar-staff1965
bar-person1976
the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > cooking > cook > [noun] > chef's or cook's assistant
swamper1907
commis1943
1907 in Thornton American Glossary.
1907 Morning Oregonian (Portland, Oregon) 13 Oct. 8/1 He was a swamper in a saloon.
1929 Collier's 5 Jan. 33/1 As a result it became pay dirt, and in later years the swamper actually had to pay for his job.
1939 P. A. Rollins Gone Haywire 65 Until the call was given, the average cook permitted nobody to approach the fire except the helper whom he rarely had, and who was known as the flunky, roustabout, swamper, or cook's louse.
1962 E. Lucia Klondike Kate iii. 81 The [theatrical] company had its own bartenders and swampers.
1979 D. Anthony Long Hard Cure ii. 20 He'd returned promptly to his apartment over the tavern. His Negro swamper bore him out.
c. An assistant to a driver of horses, mules, or bullocks. slang (originally U.S.).
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the world > food and drink > farming > farmer > [noun] > farm worker > driver of a team of draught animals
goadman1606
goad-groom1614
teamer1696
teamster1758
team man1763
goadsman1788
teamsman1792
voorloper1837
mule skinner1870
swamper1870
tracer1899
skinner1910
1870 Daily Territorial Enterprise (Virginia City, Nevada) 21 Apr. 3/1 A ‘swamper’ is a man who goes with the driver of a 10, 12, or 14-mule team as his assistant—the driver being chief engineer and the swamper first-assistant.
1926 K. S. Prichard Working Bullocks i. 6 Red Burke shouted to the bullocks... His swamper yelled and danced.
1960 A. Downs Wagon Road North 43 Many drivers were accompanied by a ‘swamper’, who was usually a young fellow apprenticed to the teaming business. The swamper looked after the horses, including rounding them up in the morning, usually about four o'clock, and in general assisted the teamster with the over-all duties of freighting.
d. One who travels on foot but has his swag carried on a wagon; hence, one who obtains a lift. Cf. swamp v. 6. Australian slang.
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society > travel > aspects of travel > going on foot > [noun] > one going on foot > having belongings carried on wagon
swamper1901
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > riding in a vehicle > [noun] > one who rides in a vehicle > hitch-hiker
hitch-hiker1927
thumber1935
hitcher1960
swamper1966
1901 M. Vivienne Trav. W. Austral. 284 A ‘swamper’ is a man tramping without his swag, which he entrusts to a teamster to bring on his waggon... While on foot the swamper will generally leave the track, and prospect.
1929 J. Raeside Golden Days 380 With many a swamper's swag on And many a billy black.
1966 T. Ronan Once there was Bagman i. 15 My..fellow swamper tossed his swag off [the mailman's truck] here; he was home.
e. An assistant to the driver of a lorry. North American slang.
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society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > driving or operating a vehicle > driver or operator of vehicle > [noun] > driver of motor vehicle > lorry driver > assistant to lorry driver
swamper1929
1929 Amer. Speech 4 345 Swamper, a helper on an auto truck.
1953 C. Armstrong Catch-as-catch-can xiv. 114 The driver of this linen service truck, told his swamper..to stay with it.
1963 Vancouver Sun 28 Feb. 1/5 A wood truck swamper was charged $25 each for two stolen kisses Wednesday.
1975 E. Iglauer Denison's Ice Road viii. 194 We don't have swampers, a second man on the truck, the way the oil-field men have.
2. An inhabitant of a swampy district. U.S.
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society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabitant > inhabitant according to environment > [noun] > dweller on low land > dweller in marsh
marshman1455
swamper1775
bogman1891
marshlander1896
1735 in N. Bouton Provinc. Papers New-Hampsh. (1870) IV. 878 The B B's Pr—st is a jolly Fellow. I hear he stood Kick and Cuff upon the Road with some Swampeers.]
1775 N. Carolina Gaz. (New Berne) 24 Mar. 3/3 Fellow Dismalites and Swampers, are we not the Men whom God hath appointed to curb the Insolence of Britain.
1857 J. D. Long Pictures of Slavery xvii. 323 I made an appointment to deliver a temperance address to the ‘swampers’.
1891 Boston (Mass.) Jrnl. 9 Apr. 2/3 It has a high reputation among the swampers as a remedy for rheumatism.
3. One who swamps or overwhelms, as by superior numbers.Apparently an isolated use.
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1884 Sat. Rev. 12 July 37/2 Mr. Gladstone asks them to swamp themselves without inquiring how they are to be swamped, and to admit their swampers without inquiring how the swampers are to be treated in the way of assigning seats to them.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1918; most recently modified version published online June 2020).
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