Why is the train called a dog? The most common versions

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

Now you can often hear how young people call the train a dog. It would seem that this type of transport has no external resemblance to a pet. But then why is the train called a dog? No one can give a definite answer to this question, but there are several assumptions. Below are all the guesses why trains are called dogs.

Historical version

Many experts say that the electric train was called a dog in Soviet times. Students got to the desired city (Moscow or St. Petersburg) with transfers. That is, at first they traveled to Tver or Chudov on one train, and then changed to another. It turned out that the students moved on the chaise longues, like on sled dogs. But then why is the train called a dog and not a horse? Not a single dictionary of jargon gives an answer to this question. Historical sources only indicate that in the 70s and 80s it was the slang of young people.

This usage can also be found in literary texts. About the train, as about a dog, Yu. Shevchuk. In the riddle of that time about a green and long electric train smelling of sausage, the answer was “dog”. The fact is that earlier they went to Moscow for sausages by train from nearby cities, since there was none in small towns. The authorship of this terminology is attributed precisely to Muscovites, because the Leningraders at that time called the electric train an electron.

Other versions

The inhabitants of the North argue that the answer to the question of why the train is called a dog should be considered an analogy with dog teams. The sled dogs were changed along the way, just like some people change from train to train to get to the place faster.

Another conjecture is based on the similarity of a dog's squeal and a creak from a train braking. Others, in their assumptions, compare the crowd in the electric train with fleas in the fur of a dog. During rush hour, the cars are crowded with people who are often compared not only to herring in a barrel, but also to small blood-sucking insects in animal fur.

Often, a woman controller is called an aunt or a dog, because she has to swear at passengers who forget or do not want to buy a ticket. According to one version, the train was named so because it makes frequent stops, like a dog at each pole.

In conclusion

The above assumptions do not give an exact answer to the question of why the train is called a dog. It still remains open, since it is now difficult to distinguish wheretruth, but where is fiction. All versions have the right to exist. Perhaps someone will be able to offer their own interesting options.