The following is what Penny came up with:

Begging:
a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)

busk

to play music or sing in a public place so that the people who are there will give money.

Looks Like the answer must be yes - but Is there anything wrong with begging - collecting "Penny for the Guy", "Trick or Treat" (maybe thats Blackmail as well?),Charity Collections, Carol Singing and more fall into the same category.

It may look to Penny as if the answer is yes but I see nothing conclusive here. My little dictonary gives SOLICIT: ask earnestly for or seek or invite (of prostitute) accost (man) for imoral purposes.

Are buskers 'soliciting', in that sense? Do solicitors, solicit? All these words must remain, largely a matter of opinion. Sometimes these opinions (or prejudices) get put into by-laws etc and are created usually by people in conventional (and respectable) professions or those weathly enough not to need a profession at all. Again these are not conclusive - just indicitive of our social divisions and the reasons why some feel they need to beg and others judge this.

Perhaps buskers, beggars, street sellers and prostitutes would write a diferent dictionary?