text: whats a 'hobo'?   (m)  hobo is a term that refers to certain wandering homeless people, particularly those who make a habit of freighthopping. the iconic image of a hobo is that of a downtrodden, shabbily-dressed and perhaps drunken male, one that was solidified in american culture during the great depression. hobos are often depicted carrying a bindle.  the hobo imagery has been employed by entertainers to create wildly succesful characters in the past, most famously emmett kelly's "weary willy" and red skelton's "freddy the freeloader".