# Question about Stephen King's novel "IT" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 13, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-novel-it/640884 "2012-11-13T14:20:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-novel-it/640884/21 "2012-11-14T14:24:32Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I’ve heard the expression, but I always heard it from the other POV: the guys ran a train on her. > > (Funny thing is, I actually first heard it from an old urban legend. Bunch of frat guys run a train on a sorority sister who’s leaning out the window. Last guy pulls her up and whoops! it’s his sister.) I’ve always heard of the girl pulling a train. But it seems like kind of a dated term since gang-bang is so frequently used now, and extended to other meanings (or perhaps it had other meanings first). I didn’t like It. About half of King’s books don’t appeal to me. Considering the total volume and individual sizes, that’s still an impressive record. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-novel-it/640884/22 "2012-11-14T16:19:12Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > I think it’s Gray in Dreamcatcher because > > it was an anagram of Gary, the character who was unknowingly the host. Except in the book it was all in the dumbass’s head and he wasn’t the host of anything. I hated that book. Movie was better. ---
**Author:** ![seufert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@seufert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seufert)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-novel-it/640884/23 "2016-04-10T11:00:39Z")
In IT I recall twice Pennywise being introduced as Robert - or Bob - Gray: When introducing himself to Georgie in the beginning and when a certain old lady (trying to keep it spolier-free, here) tells Bev who carved some furniture in that house. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-novel-it/640884/24 "2016-04-10T11:34:52Z")
It was Robert **C** ray, and was an homage to\*\* Otis Day and the Knights\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-novel-it/640884/25 "2016-04-10T12:04:51Z")
Maybe it was a zombie clown!😃 ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-novel-it/640884/26 "2016-04-10T15:00:16Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’ve always heard of the girl pulling a train. But it seems like kind of a dated term since gang-bang is so frequently used now, and extended to other meanings (or perhaps it had other meanings first). > > I didn’t like It. About half of King’s books don’t appeal to me. Considering the total volume and individual sizes, that’s still an impressive record. [speaking as a female] To me ‘a girl pulling a train’ sounds more consensual than ‘gang bang’, perhaps it is the term ‘gang’ which tends to bring to mind a bunch of unruly young men out to be obnoxious with a side of violence. But you are right, ‘pulling a train’ is the older term, haven’t really heard that in a fairly long time. Random check on youporn you find gangbang more than ‘pulling a train’, and a fair number of sex ‘on a train’ meaning the physical transportation item. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-stephen-kings-novel-it/640884.md?page=1)