# The meaning of the word "truck" in old books **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343 "2002-10-15T15:48:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/1 "2002-10-15T15:48:23Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/2 "2002-10-15T15:54:46Z")
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.”) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/3 "2002-10-15T15:58:27Z")
A truck is either a railroad car without a top, or (originally) a two wheeled cart used for ccarrying cargo. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/4 "2002-10-15T16:12:14Z")
I found both such uses [here](http://www.m-w.com). ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/5 "2002-10-15T16:22:56Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/6 "2002-10-15T16:54:13Z")
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”). ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/7 "2002-10-15T18:33:23Z")
How about in _Tom Sawyer_, when truck is used to refer to some sort of jam all over his face? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/8 "2002-10-15T20:03:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by asterion \* > \*\*How about in _Tom Sawyer_, when truck is used to refer to some sort of jam all over his face? \*\* Derived from treacle maybe?? ---
**Author:** ![jcgmoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@jcgmoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jcgmoi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-of-the-word-truck-in-old-books/132343/9 "2002-10-15T21:54:48Z")
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.]