I think it may have to do with convict camps. When I did an internet search the earliest origin seems to be around 1884. Did something happen that year?
2007-02-06 05:32:31 · 5 answers · asked by Tal K 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) says that "to railroad" means
-- 1) to accomplish (an action) with great speed; to ‘rush’ through a process. (It need not be rushing a conviction in court; for example, you can 'railroad' a bill through Congress.)
-- 2) to send (someone) to jail very fast or by false evidence.
OED dates the first usage to 1884 and the second to 1977. However, I've found it the first as early as 1875. See link below.
2007-02-06 09:09:46 · answer #1 · answered by K ; 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think that's the translation...convict with haste. To railroad someone means to force them into a bad deal, and it's not limited to convictions. "to get a bum rap" is a bad conviction.
My theory is the phrase came from the practices adopted by the railroad companies to secure the labor for their lines heading west. Once the track got out past developed cities, the workers were 100% dependent on their employers for food, water, and other necessities....they became slaves, if they had not started that way, and they were treated as such. Whips, chains, and clubs were used to keep the men in line. Thousands died all along the lines. THAT is a bad deal for a few dollars a week.
2007-02-06 06:04:07 · answer #2 · answered by Michael E 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know what happened in 1884 but the term most likely relates to the self serving nature in which the railroad companies of the time forced people off their land so they could expand. All with little or no debate.
2007-02-06 05:52:50 · answer #3 · answered by dpanic27 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should stop at a library or call a reference librarian to see if you can find an etymology. My guess is that the usage is a simple metaphor for the speed and unstoppability of a train. Trains were a major symbol for speed and strength at that time, and you'll often see them depicted in contemporary art of the period.
As you probably know, it can mean do rush something through without full and due process and consideration -- it needn't necessarily be a conviction, it could be a legislative bill, or a proposal at a meeting, etc.
2007-02-06 05:46:38 · answer #4 · answered by C_Bar 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes, they used to through a repeated trouble maker on an out going train, sending him out of town. . .wish we can do that with gangs and graffiti artists.
The 1884 period was during Reconstruction and I would imagine there were many transients trying to survive by any means
2007-02-06 05:43:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋