Green’s Dictionary of Slang

idling, loafing.

1888		‘Rolf Boldrewood’ Robbery Under Arms (1922) 166: I don’t see but what bush-ranging [...] ain’t as safe a game, let alone the profits of it, as mooching about cattle-duffing.
1895		C. Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 50: Mooching, watching or idling about instead of going to work or to school.
1896		Mirror of Life 12 Sept. 3/1: .
1896		G.F. Northall Warwickshire Word-Book 148: Mooching, M?ching, Mouching. Loitering, lurking; usually with felonious intent.
1896		Mirror of Life 12 Sept. 3/1: Farewell to mouching, my time is past; / I’ve stuck to mouching to the last.
1936		(con. 1830s–60s) ‘Miles Franklin’ All That Swagger 327: I don’t see any force in mooching about as an old batchelor for ever.
1937		A.E. Duckett ‘Truckin ’round Brooklyn’ in N.Y. Age 15 May 7/1: Winston Craig has found something besides mooching to occupy his time.
1957		Kerouac On The Road (1972) 139: There was never any mooching and mincing around, just talk.
1991		B. Hamper Rivethead (1992) 21: The floozie down in Florida had tired of his mooching and sent him packing.
1999		G. Seal Lingo 45: Other larrikin terms illuminate those things that were important in their knock about lifestyle: mooching for idling.
2000		Indep. Rev. 11 Feb. 10: Mooching, loafing and chain-smoking – notable pastimes all.
2019		D. Winslow Border [ebook] [T]hey can no longer tolerate his insanity, his mooching and petty thieving, his incipient violence.