rag-and-bone man
noun1
Ireland, UK A man who deals in scrap metal and recycled junk (originally including rags and bones, in earlier centuries).
- Horses and carts are never seen now and the rag and bone man is no more. In the fifties there were still those who made a living from old clothes, especially those made from natural fibres and suitable for felting.2009 November 24, David Fowler, NATIONAL SERVICE, ELVIS and ME!, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 98: