Yahoo!

[andy hughes]

Why are rogue traders in general, and builders in particular, referred to as 'cowboys'?

[geofbob]

I've always thought it was because they often wear blue jeans, and like movie-screen cowboys are free-spirited and not subject to the normal constraints of society.(Eg it's hard to imagine a Western cowboy worrying about health and safety regulations or paying tax.)

[Quizmonster]

Cowboy, meaning a man involved in cattle-ranching, dates back to the mid-19th century, its original significance being a lad in Britain who tended cows. However, the meaning that comes closest to what we intend when we call a tradesman that nowadays is the one from the 18th-century USA.

Here's an appropriate quote from 1775: "Bandits consisting of lawless villains within the British lines have received the name of cowboys and skinners." Given that 'skin' can also mean 'swindle' or 'fleece', I think it's pretty clear where the idea came from.