# What is the origin of the phrase "dope cart"?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-dope-cart/561533
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 22, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-dope-cart/561533 "2010-11-22T11:20:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@danielmybrother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danielmybrother)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2010, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-dope-cart/561533/1 "2010-11-22T11:20:51Z")
I ran across a statement in a personal memoir that I was reading the other day that seemed odd to me and I wanted to know if anyone here had any idea of the etymology of the phrase. The person was talking about their working life inside a southern textile mill and referred to a person who sold drinks and snacks to the workers there as “running a dope cart”. Given the usual connotation of the word “dope”, this seems incongruous. Anyone with ideas?
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### Author:  [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2010, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-dope-cart/561533/2 "2010-11-22T12:14:46Z")
> [@OED](#):
>
> d. [Perh. arising from the ambiguity of the abbrev. coke = (a) cocaine, (b) Coca-Cola.] Coca-Cola or some other carbonated drink. local U.S. slang.
>
> 1915 Printer’s Ink 23 Sept. 46/2 The propensity of a large portion of those who regularly drink Coca-Cola to call for their favorite drink as ‘dope’ or ‘coke’ or ‘koke’. 1940 C. MCCULLERS Heart is Lonely Hunter (1943) II. i. 83 If she had any money she bought a dope or a Milky Way at Mister Brannon’s. 1947 F. G. PATTON in 55 Short Stories from New Yorker (1952) 224 Want a dope?.. I tried to call them cokes once.
I personally think it was more Southern US slang.
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### Author:  [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)
#### Post date: [November 22, 2010, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-dope-cart/561533/3 "2010-11-22T13:13:13Z")
Sounds related to the guy who travels around the hospital dispensing drugs to me. Either that or the snack guy is actually selling drugs from his snack cart. Neither of which would suprise me.