General
sand hog
What does sand hog mean?
A tunnel construction worker — the people boring subways, water tunnels and bridge caissons below cities. New York's sandhogs (Local 147) built the subway, the Holland Tunnel and the city water supply. Brutal job: compressed air, the bends, constant cave-in risk.
"His grandfather was a sandhog on Water Tunnel No. 3 — buried in the union jacket."
Origin
Coined in 1870s New York during the Brooklyn Bridge caisson work, where crews dug in compressed-air chambers below the riverbed.
Frequently asked questions
What does Sand hog mean?
A sandhog is a tunnel worker — one of the crew digging underground and underwater tunnels.
How do you use Sand hog in a sentence?
"His grandfather was a sandhog who helped dig the river tunnels."
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