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