Etymology

lobbygow

L1O1B3B3Y4G2O1W4

Today it means: An errand boy, especially in Chinatown. Full definition →

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The story

Probably from Cantonese, but of unclear derivation. The first element is either English lobby or modified after that word from an obscured Chinese source; the second element may be English gow (“opium”), or may be Cantonese 狗 (gau², “dog”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.