Gyppo Logger
n
- An independent, or small, logging contractor often working on a minimal operating budget with substandard, “haywire,” equipment.
- A busheler, someone who will do piecework.
The term “gyppo” (or “gypo”) is not necessarily the same as the Irish Traveller, though the etymology seems to share the same root. The term is thought to come from the term “gypsy,” from the days when log skidding would be contracted out to itinerant operators with a team of horses.
Syn packsacker (pine country)
See also:
- Via magazine article about Gordon Smith.
- U of Washington Press “Gyppo Logger” by Margaret Elley Felt.
Nullius in Verba 
Wow. I like this blog… it’s far outside my ken but somehow reminds me of when I did commercial fishing. I’m subscribing 😉
Thanks.
Good to have you, Anne. I’ve got your blog on my RSS feed because I’m trying to turn my love of the environment and forestry into freelance work.
“…it’s far outside my ken…”, you wrote. If you don’t understand something I’ve written, call me on it. I’m amazed at how much jargon creeps in without my knowing it. So, if something’s not clear to you, it’s safe to assume that others will also be confused.
Commercial fishing? No kidding? Dangerous work. Only logging (on a per day basis) is more dangerous, also with more interesting ways of getting oneself killed–just check the OSHA stats for proof.