Story - Words and Phrases of Railroad Origin

Compiled by Le Roy Barnett

WORDS AND PHRASES OF RAILROAD ORIGIN (Alphabetical)

  • All steamed up

  • Asleep at the Switch

  • Brownie Points

  • Derail

  • Doubleheader

  • Featherbedding

  • Fireman (Engineer trainee)

  • Getting Coupled

  • Hell of a way to run a railroad

  • Hell on Wheels

  • Highball

  • Hog Head (railroad engineer)

  • Huff and Puff

  • Jerkwater Town

  • Main-line

  • Make the Grade

  • On Track

  • One-track Mind

  • Railroaded

  • Real McCoy

  • Roll Boxcars (twelve in dice)

  • Roundhouse Punch

  • Run out of Steam

  • Sidetracked

  • Standard Time

  • Station Wagon

  • Tank Town

  • Timetable

  • Whistle-stop

  • Wrong Side of the Tracks

Bibliography

The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:

  • [AAB| = All Aboard!, by Willis Dunbar, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids ©1969.
  • [AAN] = Alpena Argus newspaper.
  • [AARQJ] = American Association of Railroads Quiz Jr. pamphlet. © 1956
  • [AATHA] = Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association newsletter "The Double A"
  • [AB] = Information provided at Michigan History Conference from Andrew Bailey, Port Huron, MI

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