Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index

Lumberjack

Lumberjack is the traditional name of a person, almost always a man, who makes his living cutting down trees. A lumberjack is usually depicted as a strong, burly man who likes to brave the outdoors. He is depicted as wearing suspenders, a long-sleeved flannel shirt, and heavy boots. He works by cutting down trees with either an axe or (with the help of another lumberjack) a cutting saw (as opposed to the modern chainsaw). The most famous depiction of a lumberjack in folklore is Paul Bunyan.

The lumberjack is not typically depicted in exactly the same way as a logger, who is somewhat more modern and is often depicted as wearing a long-sleeved "hickory shirt", wearing a hardhat for protection, and carrying a chainsaw.

A list of lumberjack jargon is available.