Drummer

subs. (old).—1.  A horse, the action of whose forelegs is irregular. [Grose—1785.]

  2.  (old).—A thief who before robbing narcotises or otherwise stupifies his victim.

  1856.  H. MAYHEW, The Great World of London, p. 46. Those who hocus or plunder persons by stupifying; as ‘DRUMMERS’ who drug liquor.

  3.  (general).—A commercial traveller; also AMBASSADOR OF COMMERCE or BAGMAN (q.v.); Fr., un gaudissart (from one of Balzac’s novels); une hirondelle (= a swallow). [Cf., DRUM = a road; and old-time pedlars announced themselves by beating a drum at the town’s end.]

  1827.  SCOTT, to C. K. Sharpe, in C. K. Sharpe’s Correspondence (1888), ii., 398. Dear Charles,—I find the Nos. of Lodge’s book did not belong to the set which I consider yours, but were left by some DRUMMER of the trade upon speculation, so I must give you the trouble to return it. [In another letter on next page S. again refers to the ‘scoundrelly DRUMMER.’

  ante 1871.  [in DE VERE], A Country Merchant out West, p. 217. Look at that man, he is DRUMMER for A. T. Stewart.

  1877.  S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Life on the Mississippi, ch. xxxix., p. 365. It soon transpired that they were DRUMMERS—one belonging in Cincinnati, the other in New Orleans.

  1885.  G. A. SALA, Daily Telegraph, 14 August, 5, 3. Among whom were conspicuous sundry DRUMMERS, or representatives of American commercial firms, bound for Australasia, there to push their wares.

  4.  (tailors’).—A trousers’ maker, or KICKSEYS’-BUILDER (q.v.).