"Hitchhiker": do you use this word often?

[+-CJ-]

In our community (where English is a second or even third language for everyone) we've never used the word "hitchhiker" (neither its translation/equivalent). An item with an attached tag has usually been called a travel bug. We never needed any special term for this item I think.

 

I wonder what kind of word is "hitchhiker". Is it used really often, in oral communications, e.g. people say "hitchhiker" when they talk to each other during events, etc.? Or is it used mostly in written form in educational materials and in this forum? What can you say - from your own (your community) experience?

 

The question is important to me because we've worked on translation of different educational materials on geocaching and "hitchhiker" doesn't sound much good in Russian (and isn't used at all) so we're undecided with this term.

Edited January 10, 2014 by -CJ-

[+The Blorenges]

I don't think I ever use the word "hitchhiker" when referring to travel bugs. I refer to the whole thing (the item with the tag attached) as a travel bug. I refer to the tag as "the TB tag". I don't use any special word when talking about the attached item - I just explain that you can turn anything into a travel bug by attaching a TB tag.

 

MrsB

[Pup Patrol]

In our community (where English is a second or even third language for everyone) we've never used the word "hitchiker" (neither its translation/equivalent). An item with an attached tag has usually been called a travel bug. We never needed any special term for this item I think.

 

I wonder what kind of word is "hitchhiker". Is it used really often, in oral communications, e.g. people say "hitchhiker" when they talk to each other during events, etc.? Or is it used mostly in written form in educational materials and in this forum? What can you say - from your own (your community) experience?

 

The question is important to me because we've worked on translation of different educational materials on geocaching and "hitchhiker" doesn't sound much good in Russian (and isn't used at all) so we're undecided with this term.

 

I've seen the term "hitchiker" often in the forums here.

 

An advanced forum search for "hitchhiker", restricted to the Travel Bug forum, shows that it's a common enough term.

 

I don't personally use it. "Travel bug" is good enough for me.

 

 

B.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Pup Patrol

[+Dgwphotos]

I think a "hitchhiker" is an item that moves like a trackable, but without any means of tracking it.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Dgwphotos

[+cerberus1]

I thought a hitchhiker was something other than the TB that's attached "along for the ride"

- Saw one once that had charms attached, that wasn't part of the original TB (as per the TO's pics).

[+dprovan]

I've always taken "hitchhiker" to be the thing a TB's attached to, particularly if it's something other than what the owner of the TB attached the TB to. Perhaps "traveler" would be a reasonable way to translate, although "wanderer" or perhaps even "vagabond" might capture the nature of the term from the American use.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

I thought a hitchhiker was something other than the TB that's attached "along for the ride"

- Saw one once that had charms attached, that wasn't part of the original TB (as per the TO's pics).

This is what I perceive a hitchhiker to be. ↑↑↑↑↑

 

There are TB tags (only)... not many, but a few are sent out that way, so it seems;

Tag with a "traveler" (my conception of a TB);

Tag with a traveler accompanied by "hitchikers" (items added by other folk).

[+wmpastor]

CJ, since your English is quite good, I suspect you know the non-geocaching use of "hitchhiker." Just in case you don't:

 

 

Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle. The latter may require many rides from different people. A ride is usually, but not always, free. If the hitchhiker wishes to indicate that they need a ride, they may simply make a physical gesture or display a written sign. In North America and the United Kingdom, the gesture involves extending the hitchhiker's arm toward the road and sticking the thumb of their outstretched hand upward with the hand closed. In other parts of the world, it is more common to use a gesture where the index finger is pointed at the road.

 

In caching, I understand it to be something going along with the TB, not the tag & object that together are considered the TB. That's not common, so neither is use of the term. Some people may use the term to refer to the object traveling with the tag.

Edited January 10, 2014 by wmpastor

[+-CJ-]

Thank you wmpastor for referring my English as good. I hope to improve it actually. Yes, I know the non-geocaching meaning of the word. I also know a shorter alternative - "hitcher" (after that scary movie that gave so much advertisement to Rutger Hauer Anyway, my idea is that "hitchhiker" (in it's geocaching meaning) is probably one of those terms that were suggested long ago but haven't been used as widely as it was expected. Such words tend to change its original meaning because they aren't really popular in communications. After a while different people have (slightly) different explanations for such words.

 

This is what actually happened to "hitchhiker" I think. They even explain it differently at geocaching.com! For example, in the glossary it is "an item that is placed in a cache, and has instructions to travel to other caches. Sometimes they have logbooks attached so you can log their travels. A Travel Bug is an example of a hitchhiker". In "Geocaching 101" they gave the word a different meaning: "A Travel Bug is a trackable tag attached to an item that geocachers call a "hitchhiker."

 

Looks like the term became outdated. So, it would be not a good idea for us to try to "promote" this word in our language when translating various educational materials.

 

Thank you all for your replies.

Edited January 10, 2014 by -CJ-

[+kunarion]

Terms have been changed or used in different ways. To many people, a travel bug is any item traveling cache-to-cache, even a Geocoin or Travel Bug dogtag with its attached item, or any unofficial traveling item. But The Travel Bug dogtag is an official trademarked tag sold by Groundspeak.

 

Since people come to the forums to discuss The travel bug is missing, all that's left is the dogtag!, I try to explain that The Travel Bug is the tag. The toy is what is attached to the tag. I use the term toy or attached item, since it seems I'd otherwise spend most of a post defining hitchhiker.

 

I like the idea that hitchhiker might be anything which is not an official trackable item, yet placed with the intention to travel. Or an item that becomes attached to Travel Bugs, which was added by cachers as it traveled. But people tend to used the term in reference to whatever is attached to the trackable tag.

Edited January 11, 2014 by kunarion

[Keystone]

In the very early days of geocaching, before there were travel bug dog tags, creative geocachers came up with many concepts for tracking the movements of items designed to travel from cache to cache. Those items were referred to at the time as "hitchhikers." There were several personal websites where users could report a hitchhiker's travels. In my home area, traveling plastic monkeys were all the rage. The monkeys had their own home cache and their own tracking site.

 

Once Groundspeak created the travel bug dog tag, this largely replaced the home-grown efforts. Since the moved items were already called "hitchhikers," ten or twelve years ago you would hear people refer to a hitchhiker as the item to which a travel bug dog tag was attached.

[+-CJ-]

Thank you all for sharing your opinions and ideas.

 

I think we better avoid translating and using the term "hitchhiker" at whole.

[+irisisleuk]

Here in the Netherlands we only use the word hitchhiker for the moving caches.

There are only a few left since they are not allowed anymore. But those that are still there are very popular because of their uniqueness and old age.

[+TheHarleyRebel]

Hardly ever

[+Seaglass Pirates]

I've seen the term used with regard to geocoins - they have a magnetic recess in which sits an object which you are not permitted to mention on the uk forum. Also referred to as geocoin with traveller included. I don't think we're permitted to even put a link to one. So I can't show you but ...

 

In the uk hitchhiking used to be fairly common place. I've done it myself. A friendly driver stops and picks you up to share the journey. However there are also potential dangers with this. You still see it in the summer months. But also you have a form of it which is when a car has been delivered. It's a new car and will be driven by someone employed to do so, to its new owner or location. They drive with what's called trade plates. Red letters and white number plate. They remove these from the delivered car and hitchhike or hitch a lift back to where they came from. They get paid for travel but keep that and hitch a lift for free. You see them standing on the slip roads holding the number plate up. To give any prospective kind driver the knowledge that they are professionals.

 

It's not generally a derogatory term for people here in the uk but some of them do look like murderers lol.

 

Another way this is used in the English language is in a numerous way when talking about tics or flees. When discovered the nose is wrinkled in disgust and the statement .... Hmmm appears to have some hitchhikers. But this is regional and you can go years and not hear it.

 

Hope that helps.

[+Borst68]

I do not use nor have I heard anyone use this term in geocaching. The term is used in letterboxing. It is pretty much the letterboxing equivalent of a travel bug.

[+paulohercules]

It's used here: http://www.geoswag.com/new-releases/ufo-spinner-ball-w-hitchhiker-attachment.html

[+TheWeatherWarrior]

I always considered 'hitch hikers' to mean the annoying little seed pods that get attached to your clothes while geocaching. In the Mid-Atlantic they were pretty benign, just sticky, but in Florida, some have a bit of spins that hurt. I guess that Travel Bug is a good name. But it seems that hitchhiker has been used.