# Why are they called "trailers" if they are shown BEFORE a movie?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-called-trailers-if-they-are-shown-before-a-movie/529671>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [February 19, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-called-trailers-if-they-are-shown-before-a-movie/529671 "2010-02-19T20:09:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-called-trailers-if-they-are-shown-before-a-movie/529671/1 "2010-02-19T20:09:11Z")

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There have been a lot of threads lately about movie trailers. One thing I’ve always wondered is why they are called “trailers” when they are shown before a movie, not after.

Actually, for a long time we always referred to them as “previews”. It seems like only in the last few years that “trailer” has come into widespread use by the general public. Am I way off on that?

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**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-called-trailers-if-they-are-shown-before-a-movie/529671/2 "2010-02-19T20:12:12Z")

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They used to be shown after the movie.

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**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\
**Post date:** [February 19, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-called-trailers-if-they-are-shown-before-a-movie/529671/3 "2010-02-19T20:13:17Z")

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Trailers were the original name for them. They were first shown after the main feature back when you had movies tied with cartoons and newsreels. [Wiki link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_trailer)

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**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:** [February 19, 2010, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-they-called-trailers-if-they-are-shown-before-a-movie/529671/4 "2010-02-19T20:45:00Z")

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Audiences and movie theaters always called them “previews.” “Trailers” did exist as a term, but only to movie insiders.

Even in the 30s, they were billed as “Previews of Coming Attractions.” They were generally shown before the feature.

At some point – I’d guess in the 70s or 80s, the industry term became standard. Probably someone tried to show how hip they were to real movie terminology, and others followed.