I have recently moved into a new flat, and my new flat-mate and I were just chatting about things in the area. One thing that came up was a notice on the Lobby door. It says “No canvassing or Hawking”.
Just to clear up a small matter, what exaclty is Hawking, and what do they hawk?
They don’t want anyone unsolicited selling.
For word definitions, I recommend a dictionary.
Copies of “A Brief History of Time” and WW2 fighter planes are banned in your neighborhood.
I guess you are British (from the use of “flat” to refer to your residence). To me (from Texas), hawking is what is done at fairs. The people selling stuff or games shout out to the crowd to get business. I have never heard it used for door-to-door solicitation, but I would have understood what it meant if I had seen it.
That’s right COOLDUDE, From the South Coast of England…
I kind of knew what it was in the back of my mind, but am just curious as the name. I guess it’s easier than puting a notice up “No door to door book salespeople” (Think of the cost of sign-writing!)
I just have this picture in my mind of some Medieval guy wondering around with a hawk strapped to his arm going from door to door.
Anybody have any idea where the name came from?
The verb to hawk (in sales) is a back-formation from what a hawker does. In the context of sales rather than birding, a hawker was one who went from town to town, his merchandise carried on his back. The word came from the older German heuker and is cognate with the later German hocher.
The equivalent apartment-lobby sign in the States says “NO SOLICITORS”.