Word of the Day: Gaberlunzie

[Capt Lightning]

Gaberlunzie is an old Scots word for a licensed beggar. Sometimes known as 'Blue gowns' because of the blue cloaks that they wore.

 

[peramangkelder]

Gaberlunzie....hmmm I did have to look that up
A Gaberlunzie Man sounds an awful lot like the Aussie Rag and Bone Man I remember form the 50s and 60s

 

[Aunt Marg]

A number of years ago I was staying in my countryside getaway castle and was awoken in the middle of the night by the gate bell ringing, and when I answered the door there stood a gaberlunzie. I now ensure the drawbridge is raised before I retire for the night.

 

[Ruthanne]

I don't think I've ever met a gaberlunzie only beggars without licenses and I don't think one can get a license for that where I live.

 

[Kadee]

Gaberlunzie Man sounds....sound like a man we knew of as kids ....he walked the streets picking up all the used drink cans he found ....we would tease the old man ,who walked with a limp ..had no teeth we could see and chewed gum .
He carried a dirty old sugar bag every where he went .

Little did I know until I was about 40+ years old that “tapper “ wasn’t stealing ”our cans” that we’d pick up to get money to go to the pictures ( movies )
He was creating what I think are beautiful cars of all shapes and sizes from the cans ....
not selling them

 

[Aunt Marg]

Gaberlunzie Man sounds....sound like a man we knew of as kids ....he walked the streets picking up all the used drink cans he found ....we would tease the old man ,who walked with a limp ..had no teeth we could see and chewed gum View attachment 119054carrying an old dirty sugar bag to carry his cans
Little did I know until I was about 40+ years old that “tapper “ wasn’t stealing ”our cans” that we’d pick up to get money to go to the pictures ( movies )
He was creating what I think are beautiful cars of all shapes and sizes from the cans ....
not selling them

The cars are extraordinary!

Are they from your own collection, Kadee?

The man was incredibly talented!

 

[Kadee]

No @Aunt Marg he is mentioned on line ,I’ll get a link ..so so interesting
https://diane-adventurebeforedementia.blogspot.com/2012/04/man-with-sugar-bag.html

I grew in Broken Hill in New South Wales ( Australia ) it was a town of 40+ thousand back then
Sadly since mines have closed its down to about 15.000 now days
Poor ole tapper would not get many cans now days if he was still alive

 

[Sliverfox]

Kadee46's story of the Gaberlunzie man goes prove that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Thank you for telling us about him.

 

[Keesha]

Walking through the subway, one sometimes has to step around the odd Gaberlunzie , who’d fallen asleep with scattered empty bottles around them.

 

[Keesha]

Kadee46's story of the Gaberlunzie man goes prove that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Thank you for telling us about him.

I agree. Next time I see folks stopping to pick up bottles and cans I’m not only going to be polite and grateful to them but consider that there might be another reason why they do this.
Thank you for that Kadee.

 

[hollydolly]

As a Scot, I know this old Scottish Medieval word from Walter Scott Books