smatter-hauling
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The theft of handkerchiefs.
Register: slang
Examples
At the end of the two years and a half I got into the way of forged Bank-of-England notes. A man I knew in the course of business, said, ‘I would cut that game of ‘smatter-hauling,’ (stealing handkerchiefs), and do a little soft,’ (pass bad notes).
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “smatter-hauling” mean?
The theft of handkerchiefs.
Is “smatter-hauling” formal or informal?
smatter-hauling is generally slang.