TRAMPING

I found my old campaign boots today and decided to try them out.
I don't go out much nowadays so I'll be wearing them around the apartment tramping from one room to the next.
'Tramping' is I think a peculiar New Zealand word meaning to hike. Why 'tramp' I wonder?
Tramps were men of the road - either out of work or not interested in working who made their way from town to town to town living on hand-outs. The modern day equivalents are the down and outers you see cluttering up doorways in the main cities.

Richard of RBB's brother has just written and produced an album  on the life of one famous old New Zealand tramp. His name was Shiner (not Richard's brother, his name is Chris).

See the link here:

THE SHINER

American's use the word 'bum' instead of tramp when referring to vagrants and travellers. 'Tramp' to them is a woman of dubious morals. It's an example of the differences in language that can lead to misinterpretation. An American in New Zealand saying "I picked up a bum on the road the other day" would undoubtedly draw strange looks. Similarly a New Zealander in the USA saying "I think I'll go tramping today" might be misinterpreted.

Anyway, off I go to the kitchen and I might scale the wardrobe later.