What Is Hobo Code? Learn the Symbols, Meanings & More

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Plus, the origin and history of hobo signs and symbols

Co-authored by Lawrence Carter and Maryana Lucia Vestic, MFA, M.Phil.

Last Updated: November 29, 2025 Fact Checked

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Most Common

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People-Related

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Resources & Safety

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Warnings

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Code of Ethics

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Origin

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"Hobo" is a late 19th-century term that originally referred to migratory workers who rode the rails from town to town looking for work. They began to use a set of commonly recognized symbols that they could draw on a wall or a road to let others like them know what they’d find in that particular place; they called these symbols the hobo code. Ahead, you’ll find 66 different hobo code symbols, along with how they looked and what they meant. We’ll also go over the hobo code of ethics and where these symbols originally came from.

Common Hobo Code Symbols

Free food: A cross or a cross with a smiley face in one corner.
Food for work: A triangle with a cross in the center
Kindhearted woman: The symbol of a cat.
Stay away: A rectangle with a dot in its center, which also indicated “danger.”

Section 1 of 6:

Most Common Hobo Code Symbols

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One of the most important hobo symbols meant that “free food” was in that location. It could appear either as a cross or a cross with a smiley face in one corner. When a cross had a smiley face in one corner, it could also mean that a doctor would be able to provide free medical care.^{[1]
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Bread The sign for bread was easy to recognize, since it looked like an actual loaf of bread. It was drawn as an oval with lines inside to show other hobos that they could find bread (or food in general) in that location.

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Food for work A triangle with a cross in the center let hobos know that they could get fed in exchange for work. It might have been left near a particular home, business, or other building or area where they could find work and get fed in return.
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Woman A simple image of a woman with a head and two arms, who wore a long, full skirt, indicated that a woman lived there. Unlike the cat symbol for a kindhearted woman, this one didn’t reflect whether the woman was kind or not.
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Kindhearted lady One of the most well-known hobo symbols is a drawing of a cat. A cat let other hobos know that a kind lady lived there and would likely give them food and/or work and shelter.^{[2]
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Housewife feeds for chores It may not look like it, but 4 horizontal lines told other hobos that a housewife lived in that location. Additionally, she was likely to feed them in exchange for chores or tasks they performed around her home or land.
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Good place for a handout A circle with an “x” inside it meant that the location where it was drawn was good for a handout, meaning they could expect either a free meal, possible work, or shelter and resources. It sometimes only indicated that it was a good place for food.
- The meaning changed, depending on the size of the “x” inside the circle. A smaller “x” was thought of as less hopeful for a handout than a larger one.
8
Owner home The basic symbol for a house (a square with a triangular roof) indicated that the owner was home. It was thought of as a good place to ask for work or food.
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Owner out In opposition to the sign for an owner being home, this symbol showed a stylized house with a slanted roof, only with an “x” inside. It meant that the owner was not home. Other hobos were likely told not to bother in that location.
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Telephone You might never know that the sign for a free telephone was depicted as a chicken or a hen. When hobos saw that drawing, they knew that they could make a free telephone call in that location.^{[3]
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Work available The symbol of 2 shovels crossed over each other told hobos that they could find work there. Unlike traditional “tramps” of the period, a hobo’s main focus was moving through while finding work.
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Danger One of the more common signs for hobos was a general indication of danger. This symbol appeared as a rectangle with a dot in its center. It simply meant “stay away” because there was some form of danger there, from angry residents to law enforcement.
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Stop It doesn’t take much to realize that a circle with a slash through it meant “stop” to other hobos. Like many popular hobo symbols, this one isn’t specific, but instead simply let them know not to proceed any further.
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Dry town A rectangle with a downward-facing line sticking out from its bottom indicated a “dry” town, or a place where alcohol is forbidden. It looked like a mug that was turned over. For a hobo, this might mean they should keep moving.
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Wet town A rectangle with an upward-facing line sticking out of its top meant a “wet town,” or one where alcohol was found. This image looked more like an upright mug that might contain alcohol inside.
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Doctor present This universal symbol for medicine (a + sign) indicated that a doctor could be found in the area. It also might point to the availability of medical supplies or the presence of a large relief effort. Churches and other socially-minded groups often ran soup kitchens or held events where food and/or medical care were provided to those without a home.
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Good road Seeing 3 horizontal lines was believed to mean that the road a hobo traveled on was a good one. It was safe, clean, and probably led to a town or location where resources could be found.
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Barking dog here A horizontal zig-zag was used to represent a barking dog. The dog may or may not be dangerous, but it helped others know to expect a loud canine in the house or area.^{[4]
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Go or get out fast A circle with two horizontal arrows pointing toward one side meant that other hobos should leave the area or get out fast. It told others to leave the area as soon as possible, because they weren’t wanted there.
- This symbol was also used to indicate an area that was a “hobo-free zone.”
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I went this way One of the simplest signs that hobos used was an arrow that pointed in a particular direction. It told other hobos that the last one to pass through there “went this way.” It wouldn’t tell them who the hobo was, but let them know where the last hobo was headed.

Section 2 of 6:

Hobo Symbols About Types of People

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A drawing of a top hat meant that a gentleman lived there. He was more likely to offer food, shelter, or work to hobos who passed by his home.
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Tell a pitiful story An upside-down triangle with 2 lines beneath it told other hobos that if they told a sad story to the owner of the house, they would probably get free food, work, or shelter. Sometimes a story like that would cause a kind homeowner to take pity on them.
- This symbol was also sometimes depicted as a series of 4 regular triangles, with the first being larger than the other 3.
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Fake an illness here An inverted triangle with a horizontal line across the top was a very specific message that meant “fake an illness here.” Like telling a sad story, when hobos faked being sick, they were more likely to receive a handout, free food, or a place to stay.
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Tell a hard-luck story The sign that instructed hobos to tell a hard-luck story was a circle with a cross inside it. Although telling a hard-luck story is similar to telling a pitiful one, the symbols for each are very different.^{[5]
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Anything goes When a hobo saw 2 vertical lines, it meant that “anything goes.” The symbol usually appeared alongside other symbols, so if it was drawn next to one meaning free food or work available, it indicated that there were no rules around finding free food or getting work.
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Bad tempered man The sign of a circle and a square next to each other, along with a dot at the center of each symbol, indicated that a bad–tempered man lived there. It was a way to let others know not to waste their time looking for food or a handout.^{[6]
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Rich people live here A top hat above and to the side of a triangle (which is connected to the side of the triangle) instructed other hobos that rich people live here. They were more likely to find work through those living in a home who were wealthy.
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Dishonest man lives here A stylized drawing of a knife meant that a dishonest man lived in that location. He might either lie to a hobo about providing food or ask him to do work without paying him for it.
- This symbol appears in season 1 / episode 8 of the series Mad Men, entitled “The Hobo Code.” It appears carved into a fence post in a flashback about Don Draper’s father, Archie. A hobo had carved the symbol into the tree after Archie had not paid him as promised.
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A man with a gun lives here The sign of a triangle with two arms extended out in a “hold up” scenario meant that a man who has a gun lived there. It lets others know of a possible dangerous situation they might want to avoid.^{[7]
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Policeman lives here The symbol indicating that a policeman lived there looked like an antenna. It appeared as a vertical line with 3 horizontal lines of different lengths. Hobos traditionally avoided anywhere policemen were, to avoid the possibility of being thrown in jail or working in a chain gang.
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Judge lives here Hobos usually tried to avoid not only policemen, but also lawmakers like a judge. The symbol of a coiled serpent (similar to the caduceus medical symbol, but without the staff) told them a judge lived in a particular location. Since judges often looked upon hobos as vagrants or criminals, it was thought best to keep away from them altogether.

Section 3 of 6:

Hobo Symbols About Resources & Safety

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The cross symbol let hobos know that this was a location where they could find food. All they had to do was talk about religion or the Bible to the owner of the house or establishment, and they’d be almost guaranteed a meal.
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I ate A horizontal line with an upward pointing arrow was a simple statement to other hobos that meant “I ate.” It let them know that they’d also likely find food in this locale and encouraged them to stop there.
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Sleep in barn This symbol is a stylized barn, usually appearing with a circle inside and 2 wavy lines on top to indicate shelter. It meant that hobos could sleep in the barn or hayloft. It also generally meant they could sleep there, no matter what kind of space it was.^{[8]
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Good chance to get money here When hobos saw a simple line or several circles, it meant that there was a good chance they could make money there. It might have indicated available work or the opportunity to do tasks or chores for money.^{[9]
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Here is the place Hobos told each other that “here is the place” through an image of a square with a slanted roof. This image resembled a house and told them the town, house, or location was safe for them.
- It was also used to mean “safe campsite.”
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Help if you are sick This symbol was similar to the caduceus image, indicating that a doctor lived in a particular place. This variation of 2 serpents coiled around a staff had wings, which told hobos they could find help if they were sick. This version of the caduceus is the closest to the traditional symbol for medicine.
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Courthouse or police station Hobos knew there was either a courthouse or a police station nearby when they saw the image of a circle with a curly line through it. They were always focused on avoiding law enforcement locations wherever they could.
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Good place to sleep Hobos knew that there was a good place to sleep when they saw a symbol that looked like 2 horizontal lines, similar to an equal (=) sign. It let others know that they could find a place to sleep for the night.
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Camp here An incomplete square with the top border missing was a symbol that it was ok to camp here. Because hobos didn’t have a place to stay every night, they often camped outside. This let them know that the area was safe for them to do so.^{[10]
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Good water, good place to camp This very specific symbol appeared as a wavy line. Beneath it was an “x” with a circle on either side of it. It meant two things: thirsty hobos could find clean water in the area, and they could safely camp there as well.
- If the wavy line symbol appeared on its own, it most likely meant that hobos could find clean drinking water in the area.
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Cops inactive When hobos saw the bottom half of a circle with a dot inside, it meant that any cops nearby were inactive. The image looked similar to a closed eye to indicate that the eyes of the local law were closed.
- This image might also tell hobos that a town was indifferent to their presence.
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Good place to catch train Unsurprisingly, the image of a stylized train car let hobos know that the location was a good place where they could catch a train. They could hop aboard an open train car and ride the rails to their next location.
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Trolley stop This sign meant that the specific location was a trolley stop, or might mean that a trolley would be passing through. Hobos were known to ride the rails to get from town to town cheaply and easily.
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Tramps here When hobos saw this sign of 2 interlocked circles, it meant 2 things: tramps were in the area, or “get out fast.” If it meant tramps, it demonstrated the differentiation between hobos, who were primarily migrant workers, and tramps, who survived as drifters by traveling while avoiding work.^{[11]
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- This symbol was also sometimes depicted as a circle with 2 parallel arrows.
- The 2 interlocked circles also meant that hobos would be arrested on sight.
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Angel food Similar to the sign for a church, a cross in this context also meant that hobos could find food within a religious setting. For example, if they attended a church sermon, they would likely be given free food afterwards.
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Doctor lives here One of the more complicated hobo code symbols indicates that a doctor resided in the home or area. It also generally meant that medical help for injured or sick hobos could be found where it was drawn. A caduceus represented it, which is a symbol with a serpent coiled around a staff. It’s known to be associated with the practice of medicine to this day.
- The caduceus was an esoteric symbol originally depicting 2 serpents coiled around a rod was associated with wisdom, healing, and as a symbol for a messenger of God.^{[12]
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Church An upright cross was a simple way to indicate that a church was nearby. It also might point to the idea of talking about religion to get free food.

Section 4 of 6:

Hobo Symbols Used as Warnings

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Hobos knew not to disturb families who had small children or a baby. This was indicated by a symbol that looked like 2 interlocking diamond shapes. They knew to keep moving or to remain very quiet if stopping in the area or house.
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You’ll get cursed out here This symbol was very important to hobos, since they were often looked down upon and reviled. It appears as a diagonal line aimed upwards from left to right, containing 4 short vertical lines. Hobos had no help from law enforcement when people would verbally assault or abuse them. This image let them know to avoid the area.
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Hold your tongue If a hobo saw this sign, they knew to refrain from speaking much or having conversations with people. The symbol looks similar to a kite, and consists of a diamond shape with a diagonal line coming out of the bottom. The idea was not to draw attention to themselves when passing through.
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Home heavily guarded The image of a house with a horizontal slash through the front door meant that hobos would encounter a heavily guarded home. This might mean that the owners were home, had a gun, dog, or protection of some kind, and were most interested in protecting their home from outsiders.
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Beware (thieves about) One of the most specific hobo symbols is the sign that means “beware,” because there are thieves around. It looks like a horizontal line with the number 2 above it and the number 10 below it, similar to an equation. It meant that thieves were around a campsite or hobo location, and to keep their 2 eyes on all 10 fingers.
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Jail A series of vertical lines or a grid indicated that a jail was nearby. Hobos were often thrown in jail by local law enforcement who considered them a nuisance or even a criminal.
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Mean dogs here A sign to avoid a particular home or location where mean dogs could be found looked like 2 “W’s” joined in the center. It served as a warning to hobos to go around the place to avoid getting hurt by aggressive dogs trained to protect the property.
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Bad dog A bad or dangerous dog was represented by an image of a dog, with an “x” or inverted triangle through it. Hobos knew to look for loose or aggressive dogs on the property.
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Nothing doing here Though not a warning of danger, an open spiral shape (similar to a “G”) told other hobos that nothing much was happening in that town. It was probably best to move along, since there were few opportunities there for work, shelter, or food.
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Doubtful Hash marks told hobos that the place was doubtful, or used as a way to say, “view with suspicion.” It wasn’t specifically about a particular danger, but it told them to keep their eyes open.
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Bad water Hobos were warned to stay away from bad drinking water or water that would make them sick, thanks to this symbol. It consisted of a wavy line to indicate water; above it was a rectangle with a dot at its center. The idea here was to keep moving to find a better source of drinking water.
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Cops active The “cops active” symbol is a reversed variation of the “cops inactive” symbol, which looked like a closed eye. The active police image looked more like an open eye, with the upper half of a circle with a dot inside. This was said to represent the “open eye” of local law enforcement who were on the watch.^{[13]
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Beware—(specific number) of dogs The image depicted an outline of a dog, consisting of a horizontal line with 4 “legs” or short vertical lines, plus a diagonal line for the snout of a dog. The dog was enclosed by a top and right-hand border, along with a number indicating how many dogs were present.
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Dangerous place The message for a dangerous place was simple—it instructed hobos that the place wasn’t safe, and to not enter (or get out). It appeared to be a rectangle with a dot at its center, which was covered by a larger 3-sided rectangle (no bottom border) and a short vertical line on top.
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Afraid When hobos saw an image of 2 interlocking rectangles, it meant “afraid.” This was a very general statement that might be accompanied by another hobo symbol to give it more context as to what made the hobo afraid in the first place.
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Be ready to defend yourself This warning is depicted as a spearhead to indicate that other hobos needed to prepare to defend themselves. It could be due to several reasons that included people who are armed, residents who are aggressive toward hobos, or a gang.
- It warned that hobos needed to bring some form of protection when entering an area.
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Spoiled road An upside-down triangle let hobos know that a particular road was “spoiled.” This might mean that it was treacherous, dangerous, or filled with everyone from criminals to those who didn’t like hobos.
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Crime committed here When a hobo saw 3 diagonal lines (usually aiming left to right), they knew that the location was crime-ridden or that criminals were known to be there. Since most hobos weren’t looking for trouble, they’d probably stay away from locations that bore this warning.^{[14]
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- 3 diagonal lines were also thought to mean that an area was unsafe and to hit the road fast.

Section 5 of 6:

Hobo Code of Ethics

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Self-reliance and independence Being a hobo meant always looking for work or other ways to make money. Relying on others was something hobos could do, but it was equally as important not to over-rely. If they couldn’t find work, it was expected that they’d use whatever talents they had to make crafts or find skills they could exchange for money or food.^{[15]
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- The term “don't wear out your welcome” illustrates this idea and can be found in the hobo code of ethics.
- Looking for temporary work was a big part of being a hobo.
- Finding employment in a particular town meant that hobos were more likely to find work when returning to that town.
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Respect for law and order Specifically, this part of the hobo code of ethics states, "When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times." It was important not to get in trouble with local police or do anything illegal. Many hobo symbols warned about police, courts, and judges so hobos could potentially avoid them.^{[16]
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Honesty and integrity Remaining honest was a key part of riding the rails, looking for work in various locales, and interacting with others. They might tell a sad story or talk about religion to get free food, but hobos weren’t encouraged to tell lies or be dishonest about who they were. Having compassion for others and showing respect to those around them was important, even when they were oftentimes disrespected by members of a community.^{[17]
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Mutual aid and solidarity The network of hobos was close-knit, and it was the responsibility of hobos to help others they met along their travels.^{[18]
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Expert Source

Lawrence Carter
Educator, Sociologist, Public Speaker, and Edutainment Creator

Expert Interview} The idea was to be kind to others because they will turn around and be kind right back at a later time.^{[19]
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- Hobos were also expected to help any runaway children they encountered and do their best to get them back home.
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Work ethic Similar to self-reliance, being focused on having a good work ethic was a rule that hobos lived by. They were always looking for work, no matter how temporary it might be. They prided themselves on doing odd tasks and small jobs that no one else wanted, and liked to help local businesses thrive (so they could return to work there again in the future).^{[20]
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- In 1930s slang, a “road kid” might learn about getting a solid work ethic from other hobos they encounter along the way.
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Respect for nature Hobos considered it very important to respect nature, especially since they often camped outside. They made sure not to leave any trace of themselves where they camped and to remove any garbage from the area before moving on.^{[21]
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- The term “jungling” referred to living and camping outside.
- Hobos were always expected to pitch in and help others whenever they camped.
- For example, the phrase "don't be a jungle buzzard” indicated someone who showed up to eat what others had made on the campfire after they had left.
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Responsible conduct on trains A big part of hobo life was riding the rails. Whenever hobos rode trains, they were expected to treat others kindly. They were encouraged to avoid being “stupid drunk” and to “boil up” or bathe themselves so they didn’t offend others they were traveling alongside.^{[22]
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- Riding trains was also the perfect time to offer guidance to “greenhorns,” or those who were new to becoming a hobo.

Section 6 of 6:

Origin & History of Hobo Symbols

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Hobo code symbols originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It began as a way for hobos and migratory workers to communicate with one another when traveling from place to place. Their symbols mostly centered around opportunities and resources in a particular location, what kind of people they’d find there, and any dangers present.^{[23]
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- Hobos were defined as migratory workers willing to work for food, while a tramp travelled to avoid working altogether.
- The term “hobo” dates back to the American West in 1890. It described a migrant worker who travelled for different jobs. It may relate to the phrase “homeward bound,” “hoe-boy” (referring to farm hands who carried hoes), or the common railroad greeting “ho, boy!”