Plural of hobo; homeless people who travel from place to place, especially during the Great Depression era.
From 'hobo,' origin uncertain but possibly from 'hoe-boy' (a farm worker), or from a greeting 'Ho! Beau!' used by travelers. Became common in American English in the late 1800s.
Hobos created their own secret language and symbols marked on buildings to warn other travelers about dangerous places or friendly towns—a hidden world that existed alongside ordinary America during the Depression. Some historians call this the 'hobo code.'
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