A person who uses or carries a flag, especially a railroad worker who signals trains with a flag for safety.
From 'flag' plus 'man' (a person), combining Scandinavian-origin 'flag' with Old English 'man'. Historically used for railway workers and construction workers who guided traffic.
Before electronic signals, railroad flagmen were crucial safety workers who stood on tracks with colored flags to communicate with approaching trains—a dangerous job that required precise timing and visibility!
Occupational term defaulting to male form. Historically, flagpole workers, railway flagmen, and construction signal operators were predominantly male; the suffix '-man' encodes this assumption despite the role being gender-neutral.
Use 'flag operator', 'flagperson', or 'flag coordinator' in contemporary contexts.
["flag operator","flagperson","flag coordinator","signal operator"]
Women have worked as railway flagmen and construction signal operators since the early-to-mid 20th century; historical records often undercount their participation due to occupational segregation.
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