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If you randomly tapped our
telephones some idle afternoon, you might hear strains of "That's
HANSOM without an E!" or "PHAETON, P-H as in Philip..."
Ever wonder where these names
came from and what they mean?
Hansom, coach, chariot, phaeton,
shay and surrey are varieties of horse-drawn carriages. Better yet,
the theme is a pun, considering the wheel-like arrangement of Shay,
Phaeton and Coach streets radiating from Hansom.
So for the extremely curious,
here's some extreme trivia:
 Chariot
| Coach | Hansom | Phaeton
| Shay | Surrey
|
Chariot
An
open
four-wheeled carriage used for show or ceremony. Or Charlton
Heston in baby oil.
|
 |
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Coach
A completely enclosed
carriage on four wheels. Named after Kocs, Hungary, where
they invented the vehicle. (Average annual Hungarian rainfall:
24 inches.)
|
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Hansom
This carriage
has only two wheels and a driver's seat up top. Named for
the nineteenth-century architect Joseph A. Hansom. Give the
man a tip.
|
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Phaeton
A convertible,
four-wheeled carriage pulled by a team of two horses. Named
for the Greek son of the Sun god who borrowed his dad's car
and nearly wrecked the cosmos.
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Shay
An
open two-wheeled carriage pulled by one tired horse. Its name
comes from the mistaken
singular of "chaise," meaning just one of those
fancy French "shays."
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Surrey
A
covered two-seater on four wheels. This carriage is named
for Surrey, England, where the Surrey cart was first built.
Fringe-on-top optional.
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