noun
roulette-like street gambling
Abbreviation of 伝助賭博. A historical street gambling game resembling roulette, now rare.
See also: 伝助賭博
戦後の闇市では伝助賭博が流行ったらしい。
It seems that 伝助 gambling was popular in the postwar black markets.
noun
portable tape-recorder (used by reporters)
Colloquial term for a portable tape recorder, especially the kind used by newspaper reporters. Now largely historical.
昔の新聞記者は伝助を肩にかけて取材に行った。
Old-time newspaper reporters went to cover stories with a 伝助 slung over their shoulder.
The origin is uncertain. The gambling sense is an abbreviation of 伝助賭博, but the connection to the name 伝助 is unclear. The tape-recorder sense may derive from the brand name 'Densuke' or from a reporter named Densuke, but this is speculative.