2. (colonial).—To shoulder and carry. E.g., To hump one’s swag = to shoulder one’s kit.
1886. Daily Telegraph, 1 Jan. Ladies whom I have met humping their own drums.
1887. All the Year Round, 30 July, p. 66. A large blanket rolled up which contains the personal luggage of the man who carries or humps it.
1887. G. A. Sala in Illus. Lon. News, 12 Mar., 282/2. All kinds of luggage, generally speaking, which are manually carried, are at present said to be humped. I have had to hump mine many a time and oft.
1888. Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms, ch. xxii. We humped our saddles and swags ourselves.
1890. Family Herald, 8 Feb., p. 227. I was just debating whether I had better hump my drum.
3. (old).—See quot. For synonyms, see Greens and Ride.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Hump, to hump. Once a fashionable word for copulation.
To hump oneself, verb. phr. (American).—To stir; to prepare for attack; to fancy oneself.
1847. Porter, Quarter Race, etc. p. 177. Ef thar are anything he humps hisself on besides ugly, it is his manners among the fimmales.