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Patter vs Tramp - What's the difference?

patter | tramp |

As nouns the difference between patter and tramp

is that patter is the soft sound of feet walking on a hard surface or patter can be glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer, or banter during a sports event or patter can be one who pats while tramp is (pejorative) a homeless person, a vagabond.

As verbs the difference between patter and tramp

is that patter is to make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch or patter can be to speak in such a way – glibly and rapidly, such as from an auctioneer, or when bantering during a sports event while tramp is to walk with heavy footsteps.

patter

English

Etymology 1

1610s, of (onomatopoeia) origin.

Noun

(en noun)
  • The soft sound of feet walking on a hard surface.
  • I could hear the patter of mice running about in the dark.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1907, author=
  • , title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=7 citation , passage=The patter of feet, and clatter of strap and swivel, seemed to swell into a bewildering din, but they were almost upon the fielato offices, where the carretera entered the town, before a rifle flashed.}}
    Derived terms
    * pitter-patter

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make irregularly repeated sounds of low-to-moderate magnitude and lower-than-average pitch.
  • The bullets pattered into the log-cabin walls.
  • * Thomson
  • The stealing shower is scarce to patter heard.
  • To spatter; to sprinkle.
  • * J. R. Drake
  • Patter the water about the boat.

    Etymology 2

    Circa 1400, from . Noun attested 1758, originally referring to the cant of thieves and beggers.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Glib and rapid speech, such as from an auctioneer, or banter during a sports event.
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To speak in such a way – glibly and rapidly, such as from an auctioneer, or when bantering during a sports event.
  • * Mayhew
  • I've gone out and pattered to get money.
    Derived terms
    * Glasgow patter

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who pats.
  • tramp

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (pejorative) A homeless person, a vagabond.
  • *
  • She was frankly disappointed. For some reason she had thought to discover a burglar of one or another accepted type—either a dashing cracksman in full-blown evening dress, lithe, polished, pantherish, or a common yegg, a red-eyed, unshaven burly brute in the rags and tatters of a tramp .
  • (pejorative) A disreputable, promiscuous woman; a slut.
  • "I can't believe you'd let yourself be seen with that tramp ."
    "Claudia is such a tramp ; making out with all those men when she has a boyfriend."
  • Any ship which does not have a fixed schedule or published ports of call.
  • * 1888 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), :
  • I was so happy on board that ship, I could not have believed it possible. We had the beastliest weather, and many discomforts; but the mere fact of its being a tramp -ship gave us many comforts; we could cut about with the men and officers, stay in the wheel-house, discuss all manner of things, and really be a little at sea.
  • * 1919 , Charles Fort, :
  • Then I think I conceive of other worlds and vast structures that pass us by, within a few miles, without the slightest desire to communicate, quite as tramp vessels pass many islands without particularizing one from another.
  • * 1924 , George Sutherland, :
  • Some of these are regular ocean liners; others are casual tramp ships.
  • * 1960 , (Lobsang Rampa), :
  • “Hrrumph,” said the Mate. “Get into uniform right away, we must have discipline here.” With that he stalked off as if he were First Mate on one of the Queens instead of just on a dirty, rusty old tramp ship.
  • (Australia, New Zealand) A long walk, possibly of more than one day, in a scenic or wilderness area.
  • * 1968 , John W. Allen, It Happened in Southern Illinois , page 75:
  • The starting place for the tramp is reached over a gravel road that begins on Route 3 about a mile south of Gorham spur.
  • * 2005 , Paul Smitz, Australia & New Zealand on a Shoestring , Lonely Planet, page 734:
  • Speaking of knockout panoramas, if you?re fit then consider doing the taxing, winding, 8km tramp' up ' Mt Roy (1578m; five to six hours return), start 6km from Wanaka on Mt Aspiring Rd.
  • * 2006 , Marc Llewellyn, Lee Mylne, Frommer?s Australia from $60 a Day , page 186:
  • The 1½-hour tramp passes through banksia, gum, and wattle forests, with spectacular views of peaks and valleys.
  • , especially a very small one.
  • Synonyms

    * (homeless person) bum, hobo, vagabond ** See also * (disreputable woman) See also * (type of ship) see * (long walk) bushwalk, hike, ramble, trek

    Derived terms

    * tramp ant * tramp stamp

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To walk with heavy footsteps.
  • To walk for a long time (usually through difficult terrain).
  • We tramped through the woods for hours before we found the main path again.
  • To hitchhike
  • To tread upon forcibly and repeatedly; to trample.
  • To travel or wander through.
  • to tramp the country
  • (Scotland) To cleanse, as clothes, by treading upon them in water.
  • (Jamieson)

    Derived terms

    * trample * tromp

    References

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