By Jo Barnes –
All aboard my friends! This month we’re following a new “train of thought,” literally in fact, as we explore the world of railroad-inspired phrases.
As our conductor comes around to take your tickets, did you know that while the word train has been with us for a very long time, its origin had nothing to do with locomotives? Based on the Anglo French word “trainer,” it first meant to draw or drag and related to the part of a gown that trails behind the wearer, much like our modern day bridal train. Later on, the meaning expanded to a group who followed behind one important individual. Then in 1651, a noted philosopher called Thomas Hobbes applied the phrase to the process of thinking and used it to describe a sequence of connected ideas. Linking the pattern of thinking to a moving train; isn’t English a fascinating language?
Speaking of Hobbes brings to mind the cartoon Calvin and Hobbes. Boy, that Hobbes was so very … sorry, I’m getting “sidetracked” and maybe even a little “derailed”. Like a train moved onto a branch line or a “sidetrack”, I’ve strayed from the “main line,” or, as the French say, “de-raille” which means to go right off the rails.
So, let’s get back on track. In fact, let’s build up a good head of steam. Let’s ride those rails! Now we’re chugging along! Oh no, too many expressions for you? I get so worked up about these railroad phrases that I need to “blow off some steam!” It’s a common expression nowadays, but before the 1800s, it referred more to the old steam engine than our human emotions.
Boilers were used in these engines, and when too much pressure built up, there was a danger of explosion. To reduce pressure and let off the steam, engineers would apply the blow off valves.
Whew! That’s a lot of train talk in just one column. You could even accuse the writer of being one-track minded. Well folks, we’re almost at the “end of the line.” It’s an expression referring to a railroad’s terminus. We can’t go any farther, so, along with the conductor I’d like to thank you all for coming on board today. But before I say farewell, I’d like to leave you with a smile.
What do you give a train driver for Christmas? Platform shoes of course!
