smous, verb

Forms:
Also smouse, smouth.
Origin:
From smous noun.
1. intransitive. To be engaged in intinerant trading; to peddle; to solicit business (especially in a demeaning manner); smouch verb.
1839 T. Shone Diary. 4 MayWe met John a coming back, he was going a smouthing.
a1862 J. Ayliff Jrnl of ‘Harry Hastings’ (1963) 77You want to stop there to trade, or I should say smouse, for that’s the Dutch word for trade.
1887 S.W. Silver & Co.’s Handbk to S. Afr. 35They reared flocks, grew wool, went ‘smousing,’ and made themselves merchants.
1911 D.B. Hook ’Tis but Yesterday 16Jan Hofmeyr had migrated from under the shadow of Table Mountain in 1820..and moved north by slow degrees, trading or smousing, following the business of a hawker.
1912 W. Westrup Land of To-Morrow 212He has the sauce to come smousing around to me for an order...He didn’t get an order.
1955 D. Abelson in Saron & Hotz Jews in S. Afr. 341Max Rose started life at the Cape in the traditional way by smousing, but soon gave that up, and..opened a shop at Zoar.
1968 D.R. Edgecombe Letters of Hannah Dennison. 235He had opened a shop in Graaff-Reinet in 1824 and ‘smoused’ about the country. By 1836 he had established a shop in Colesberg.
1972 Beeton & Dorner in Eng. Usage in Sn Afr. Vol.3 No.1, 6Smous,..as v = to dispose of goods in an undignified manner.
1973 Caravan July 21During the evening’s friendly circle at Beaufort West Guy was fined for ‘smousing’ on a public road.
1977 F.G. Butler Karoo Morning 132He loaded the Whippet up with samples of butter paper and stationery, and albums of H.M.V. records, plus an older child as gate-opener, and went smousing among the richer farmers.
1985 D. Bikitsha in Sunday Times 1 Sept. 4Until now, we have been in the habit of smousing, drinking, pick-pocketing, preaching, and generally enjoying ourselves on trains.
2. transitive. To obtain (something) in a questionable way.
1977 Het Suid-Western 21 Dec.They wanted to sell us the pictures they had smoused during the rescue — and that at the world’s most inflated prices.
3. intransitive. ?nonce. To search for bargains.
1991 F.G. Butler Local Habitation 190Not only did we visit the local auctioneer’s sales rooms regularly, but we broke our car journeys to Cape Town or elsewhere to smouse around second-hand and antique shops in towns and dorps en route.
To be engaged in intinerant trading; to peddle; to solicit business (especially in a demeaning manner); smouch verb.
To obtain (something) in a questionable way.
To search for bargains.
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smous, nounn.smouser, nounn.
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