Question on period venacular

[Gary of CA]

I read this in a book I picked up at Chimborazo Medical Museum in Richmond. The book is In Care of Yellow River by Elizabeth Whitley Roberson. There's a statement on page 104 that has baffled me. Can anyone explain it to me?

You said that Mr. Cofer had flew the truck. I was very glad to hear that for I was fearful that he would do no good. I think though that you had better try and get somebody to tend to your land on halfs or rent it.

So, what does flew the truck mean? Thanks.

[Charles Heath]

Re: Question on period venacular

Gary, think about "truck" as part of a flagpole, and what happens when a flag escapes. This phrase goes back at least as far as the late 1820s, and perhaps is even earlier.

[Blackhatter1]

Re: Question on period venacular

It seems it may be fairly similar to our phrase "flew the coop" or "skipped town". Would that be a close assessment Charles?

[Charles Heath]

Re: Question on period venacular

Yep...and "color him gone" works in the modern parlance and lexicon, too.

[Gary of CA]

Re: Question on period venacular

OK, so it's like French Leave, but how did "truck" become synonymous with skedaddle?

Did they anticipate the hippie saying, "Keep on trucking?"

[Charles Heath]

Re: Question on period venacular

Gary,

"Truck" in this instance is a noun, and describes a portion of a flagpole. Here is a link (unapproved vendor at that) to a modern flagpole truck:

http://www.united-states-flag.com/othfltr.html

(Before anyone mentions it, go ahead and Snope the service revolver myth.)

To add salt to the wound, "truck farming" is a term I've seen a few times in pre-CW documents. While I'm pretty sure they weren't growing flagpole parts, it makes a fellow stop and think for a moment about usage.

[ephraim_zook]

Re: Question on period venacular

"A truck farm has nothing to do with motorized cargo vehicles. The truck in truck farm comes from the noun meaning trade or barter, a word borrowed from the Anglo-Norman truke in the 14th century.

In late-18th century America, truck came to mean garden produce or culinary vegetables--those most likely to be traded or brought to market. The term truck farm itself dates to 1866 and denotes a farm that grows vegetables for sale. "

This from wordorigins.org. While this site is not the be-all / end-all of etymology, it leans in a very scholarly direction.

Ron Myzie

[Charles Heath]

Re: Question on period venacular

Ron wins the kewpie doll for truck farming, and the first one to post the famous photo of fellows with short rolls and trousers tucked into their socks next to a railroad "truck" wins the next one. Ain't this fun?

[nrandolph]

Re: Question on period venacular

Ron,

I was wondering about the word origin of "truck" all evening! Glad you came up with the answer. I was personally guessing Old English. I suppose that makes sense because most of the time I've heard the expression used, it went something like, "I ain't got no truck with them fellers!".

Neil Randolph
1st WV

[Hagooder02]

Re: Question on period venacular

These definitions are from the Dictonary of Americanisms by John Russell Bartlett, first published in 1848.

Truck: Medicine

Truck: Produce, cloth or almost anythng. Ex: The fact is, if the people of Georgia don't take to makin' homespun and sich truck for themselves, and quit their everlastin'fuss abou the tariff...the best part of their population will be gone to the new states.

Ex; "What do the doctors give for fever and ague?" " Oh, they give abundance o'truck.

Truck: A two-wheeled vehicle drawn by a horse, and used for carrying merchandise.

Bruce Blackmon
"I didn't just fall off the cabbage truck yestiddy"

[tomarch]

Re: Question on period venacular

Truck also denotes the wheel assemblage under a railroad car which is comprised of:
1.) Wheels (4 or 6)
2.) Axels (2 or 3)
3.) Bolster(1)
4.)Frames (2)
5.) Springs and Journal Boxes (to lubricate the axels there they bear on the frames)

[Charles Heath]

Re: Question on period venacular

Tom gets the hint in post #8 on this thread.

[Bivouac_of_the_Dead]

Re: Question on period venacular

Nautical usage....

If you ever want to know how tall a tall ship is you would measure her from keelson to truck.

The truck is the very top of a ship's mast. At it's upper extreme the mast doubles as a flag pole. Specifically the truck is the little round piece of wood that caps the top of the mast. Sometimes a small block and tackle would be attached to the truck for the lines that would be used to raise and lower a flag.

"Send down my main-top-sail yard! Ho, gluepots! Loftiest trucks were made for wildest winds, and this brain-truck of mine now sails amid the cloud-scud." - Moby-Dick, Chapter 120

"Aloft there!- keep thy keenest eye upon the boats:- mark well the whale!- Ho! again!- drive off that hawk! see! he pecks- he tears the vane"- pointing to the red flag flying at the main-truck- "Ha, he soars away with it!- Where's the old man now? see'st thou that sight, oh Ahab!- shudder, shudder!" - Moby-Dick, Chapter 135

"Retribution, swift vengeance, eternal malice were in his whole aspect, and spite of all that mortal man could do, the solid white buttress of his forehead smote the ship's starboard bow, till men and timbers reeled. Some fell flat upon their faces. Like dislodged trucks, the heads of the harpooneers aloft shook on their bull-like necks. Through the breach, they heard the waters pour, as mountain torrents down a flume." - Moby-Dick, Chapter 135