Rum-Johnny

English

Noun

Rum-Johnny (plural Rum-Johnnies)

1. (India, historical) A native who loitered about the wharves of Calcutta seeking employment as a servant with newly arrived Europeans.
   • 1810, Thomas Williamson, The East India Vade-mecum, page 168:

     At length, one of my own domestics informed me, that he was a Rum-Johnny who had been discharged from my service, in which he held the office of mosaulchy, (or linkboy,) for theft.

References

• Henry Yule, A[rthur] C[oke] Burnell (1903) “Rum-Johnny”, in William Crooke, editor, Hobson-Jobson […] , London: John Murray, […].