inspector, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

inspector n.

[he moves from job to job, ‘to see what they are like’]

(US) an itinerant worker.

1944

G.L. Nute Lake Superior 210: The camps had ‘inspectors,’ too. This was the lumberjack’s name for hoboes [DA].

inspector of city buildings (n.)

(Aus.) one who is unemployed and not especially keen on finding work.

1900–10		Stephens & O’Brien Materials for a Dict. of Aus. Sl. [unpub. ms.] 140: Inspector of Public Buildings is a man walking about looking for work and praying he will not find it.
1943		Baker Popular Dict. Aus. Sl. (2nd edn).

inspector of manholes (n.) (also manhole inspector) [pun on SE manhole/man hole, i.e. the male anus]

a male homosexual; usu. the active partner.

1972		B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 18: the man who fucks in anal intercourse, as opposed to the one who is fucked [...] inspector of manholes (Brit).
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn) 599: since ca. 1930.
2000		posting by ‘You are a faggot’ SaramNet.Com 13 Feb. 🌐 hahaha...What? are you the inspector of manholes now?
2001		M. Acito ‘LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth’ XI:3 6 Apr. 🌐 Following that reasoning, and in the interest of being more specific, I suggested that he simply identify himself as a ‘pillow-biter’ or a ‘manhole inspector,’ as the case may be.

inspector of public buildings (n.)

an unemployed person.

1890–1904

inspector of (the) pavements (n.)

see under pavement n.