messenger boy

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Word: Messenger Boy

Definition: A "messenger boy" is a young boy (usually a teenager) who is hired to deliver messages, packages, or documents from one place to another. They often run errands for businesses or individuals.

Usage Instructions:

• The term "messenger boy" is usually used in a historical or traditional context. Nowadays, we might refer to such workers simply as "messengers" or "couriers," regardless of their age.
• You can use "messenger boy" when talking about jobs that involve delivering items or messages, especially if you want to emphasize the youth of the worker.

Example:

• "When I was young, I worked as a messenger boy, delivering letters around the city on my bicycle."

Advanced Usage:

• In literature or films, a "messenger boy" might symbolize innocence or the hustle of youth.
• In historical texts, messenger boys might be depicted as important figures in communication before technology made delivery faster.

Word Variants:

• Messenger (noun): A person who carries messages or delivers items, not limited to boys.
• Errand (noun): A short journey taken to do something, like delivering a message or item.

Different Meanings:

• The term "messenger" can also refer to a person who brings news or information, such as in a broader sense (e.g., a messenger of peace).

Synonyms:

• Courier
• Delivery person
• Delivery boy (more general and can include girls)
• Errand runner

Idioms:

• "Don't shoot the messenger": This means don’t blame the person who brings bad news.

Phrasal Verbs:

• There aren't specific phrasal verbs directly associated with "messenger boy," but you might use phrasal verbs related to delivery, such as:
  • "Drop off": To deliver something to a specific place.
  • "Pick up": To collect something from a place.

Academic

Noun

1. a boy who earns money by running errands

Synonyms

• errand boy