When and how did the term “Charley Horse” or “Charlie Horse” originate?
Basically, no one knows for sure. Here’s a link to the Mavens’ Word of the Day that discusses possible origins of Charley horse.
And another link to a discussion of the term: Charley Horse
Not to disrespect JeffB, but the font of intestimable wisdom that is Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader says it goes back to the several hundred years.
Apparently King Charles I or II decided to cut corners here and there and made the London Metropolitan Police walk their routes on foot rather than having them go on horseback. When they would complain of sore legs and such, they would say it was from “riding Charley’s horse.” Rather poetic, no?
My $.02
Poetic, yes. Stories like this are seldom correct as to the origin of words and phrases. If the term really went back several hundred years, why is there written reference to it prior to the late 1800s?
According the link I provided above (which includes a link to the Word Detective, BTW), the OED says charley horse is of American origin.
http://www.wilton.net/wordorc.htm#charley
check out this page. one of the better etymology sites i have found.
"Charley Horse
This term for a pulled muscle is originally a baseball term, dating to at least 1888. Most sources list the origin as obscure. No one
knows who Charley was or why he may have had a lame horse.
Mencken, however, gives two possible explanations. Mencken does not plump for them and to my ear they sound horribly strained.
The first is that is named after Charlie “Duke” Esper, a southpaw pitcher who “walked like a lame horse.” Esper, however, did not
make his major league debut until 1890, so while it is possible that the term derives from him, the dates make it seem unlikely.
The second is that it comes from a lame horse owned by Charley, the groundskeeper in a Sioux City ballpark. Mencken gives no dates
for this one."