broomie

English

Etymology

From broom +‎ -ie (“diminutive suffix”).

Noun

broomie (plural broomies)

1. (informal) A person who wields a broom.
   • 2005, Bernie DeKoven, Junkyard Sports‎^[1], page 37:

     Two players are named broomies, and each is positioned at either end of the court. Each has two brooms.

2. (informal, Australia) A person who sweeps the floor and possibly does other menial tasks in a shearing shed.
   • 1913, New South Wales Dept of Agriculture, The Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales‎^[2], volume 23, page 872:

     In some big single-board sheds, where pickers-up and broomies have to dodge shearers who are continually crossing the board, plenty of space is necessary, and the board should not be less than 10 feet wide.

   • 1990, John Bernard D′Arcy, Sheep Management and Wool Technology‎^[3], page 103:

     The ′broomie′, or board boy, should keep the wool pushed up to the lamb being shorn.

3. (informal, US) A broomtail (unbroken range mare).
   • 1927, David M. Newell, Cougars & Cowboys‎^[4], page 134:

     In the lead of the broomies ran a beautiful cream buckskin, with black mane flying proudly!

   • 1972 August, Adrienne Richard, Sundance and the Princess, Boys' Life, page 22,

     A broomtail, we called it, and usually broomies had their tails “pulled,” trimmed up, when they were broken to saddle, but I didn't want Sundance′s tail cut.

   • 1989, Stella Hughes, Hashknife Cowboy: Recollections of Mack Hughes‎^[5], page 165:

     One day after corralling a bunch of broomies in a pole corral, I roped a big blue-roan mare that wore a brand.

Anagrams

• boomier