hash slinger
A cook or a waitress, especially at a diner or cheap restaurant. ("Hash," in this sense, refers to a dish or stew of chopped meat and vegetables, not hashish.) Primarily heard in US. I worked as a hash slinger for several years to pay my way through college.
ink-slinger
slang A writer, especially one who produces a large amount of low-quality material for a living. I spent a lot of time after college as an ink-slinger for various newspapers and magazines while working on my first novel.