Like "bum" and "loaf," this obsolete verb meaning "to roam about idly" has come to be a pejorative descriptor for any footloose and fancy-free person. Lin Yutang, resisting the militarization of his homeland, insisted that the scamp - not the soldier - is the highest form of humanity. Whereas the latter surrenders his individuality and obeys orders, Yutang points out, the former remains curious, dreamy, humorous, wayward, incalculable, and unpredictable. See: BUM, LOAF, SAUNTER.