Occasionally I find myself reading something which takes place around the turn of the last century, and come across the word “truck”. In McTeague, written by Frank Norris in 1899, the characters go to a nickelodeon and see a truck in the film. In that kind of context, should I imagine a motor truck, or is a big wagon drawn by horses what the writer means? Did motorized trucking become widespread before there were many passenger cars?
So you’re asking about a “truck” as a vehicle? I don’t know. When I opened this thread I thought the question was going to be about “truck” as in “dealings” or “close association”. (E.g., “I hold no truck with such nonsense.”)
A truck is either a railroad car without a top, or (originally) a two wheeled cart used for ccarrying cargo.
I found both such uses here.
You may have come across the phrase “And I have no truck with him” in some old books (including, interestingly, Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Harrison, 1965). The character speaking is announcing that has no dealings, commercial or otherwise, with the subject of the conversation, i.e. he has no friendship or association with that character in which exchanges of good or services takes place.
The OED lists “Truck” – meaning a wheeled vehicle used to carry heavy objectes – as dating from 1774. They became a common turn for carts used to haul merchandise; around the turn of the 20th century, abandoned trucks were an problem and an eyesore (their owners would abandon them in the streets if they didn’t have anything to load them with; the hulks collected garbage).
When motor vehicles came along, those used for hauling took on the name (OED: 1916 as “motor truck”).
How about in Tom Sawyer, when truck is used to refer to some sort of jam all over his face?
Derived from treacle maybe??
n.
3. Informal. Worthless goods; stuff or rubbish: ?Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What is that truck?? (Mark Twain).
[Middle English trukien, from Old North French troquer.]