The drum has been around since at least the Neolithic Period in 5500 BC, but the word “drum” came much later, with the first known use in English coming in the late 16th century.
The origin of the word drum is believed to be an example of onomatopoeia, or a word that sounds like what it describes, such as thud, meow or splash.
A drummer, of course, refers to the musician who plays the drums. But the word drummer has also had an interesting run through global slang.
A drummer could be a traveling salesman in the 19th century United States, a house burglar in the parlance of the U.K. underworld, or the newest or slowest sheep shearer on the farm crew in Australia and New Zealand.
This last example might give new meaning to Thoreau’s classic line: “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.”