dosser n.
1. (also dosser-out) a tramp, a vagrant, a homeless person.
Leaves from Diary of Celebrated Burglar 109/1: Most of the ‘dossers’ were transient customers, people who were always on the move. | ||
How the Poor Live 43: A ’appy dosser can make himself comfortable anywhere. I heard of one who used to crawl into the dust-bin, and pull the lid down. | ||
Dead Bird (Sydney) 9 Nov. 2/1: First Domain dosser (crying piteously): ‘A man caught me and set me to work’. | ||
‘“Dossing Out” and “Camping”’ in Roderick (1972) 164: God watches the ‘dossers-out’, too, in the city, but He doesn’t keep them from being moved on. [...] When the wretched ‘dosser’ rises in the morning, he cannot shoulder his swag and take the track. | ||
Round London 39: The East End brewers and publicans are thoroughly appreciated by the ‘dossers’. | ||
Tramping with Tramps 119: The next higher type of the town tramp is the ‘two-cent dosser’ – the man who lives in stale-beer shops. | ||
Mysteries of Modern London 183: There is a certain etiquette even among the ’appy dossers. | ||
Sun. Times (Perth) 20 Oct. 1/1: The substitute incontinently ejects all who dare to lie on the grass [but] the same old indecently-frowsy male dossers are still in abundance. | ||
Bulletin (Sydney) 12 Sept. 17/1: A wealthy resident [...] bequeathed his possessions to the unwashed, the dosser, the loafer, the sleeper-out and the chicken-snatcher. | ||
Townsville Daily Bulletin 3 Aug. 5/1: ‘Dosser’ Doyle was a swagman [...] Mate to the ‘bum’ and the bagman. | ||
Gilt Kid 202: Some of them blokes is dossers what has just hit the Smoke. | ||
Crime in S. Afr. 90: Many of the dossers brought their own sheets and blankets, which consisted of old newspapers. | ||
Down and Out 49: At the far end of the seat a dosser was lying in a sleeping-bag. | ||
Limericks Down Under 79: But he did know his wine / When they asked him to dine - / A welcome free loader and dosser. | ||
(con. 1950s–60s) in Little Legs 61: We’d have all the dossers and layabouts running about. | ||
Sopranos 212: Fuckin dosser. | ||
Yes We Have No 356: It’s dossers like us, pathetic alky misfits, who are ruining the West End. | ||
Guardian Rev. 4 Feb. 19: Tales of dossers and street lunatics. | ||
Killing Pool 28: His raggle-raggle commune of addicts and dossers. |
2. the head of a household [he is the person who pays for/provides the place to sleep].
DSUE (1984) 333/1: from ca. 1885; ob. |
3. (Aus.) a general insult.
Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 6 Feb. 4/1: The dark doings of the dirty dossers that prostitute sport by their pernicious presence. |
4. someone who exists without working.
Everyday Eng. and Sl. 🌐 Dosser (n): layabout, useless. | ||
Queer Street 301: Some dosser’s done a book on that as well. | ‘Vilja de Tanquay Exults’ in
In compounds
a workhouse or any form of lodging for homeless people.
Sheffield Eve. Teleg. 17 Oct. 2/6: the ‘Dossers’ Palace’ at Clerkenwell [...] will be opened about Christmas and will accomodate nearly 700 male lodgers [...] The rooms provided for eating, drinking, reading, and smoking would not disgrace a first-class hotel. | ||
Manchester Courier 1 Feb. 10/3: ‘Rowton House’, as this new ‘dossers’’ hotel will be called. | ||
Illus. Police News 5 Aug. 8/1: A Salvation Army ‘Hotel’ in XClare Market. | ||
Tramping with Tramps 90: A ‘spike’ in turn is known as the ‘dosser’s hotel’. |