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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread highball #118924 01/06/2004 1:30 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Mencken mentions "highball" as an alcoholic drink. I suspect it was borrowed from railroad word. "The Americans, introduced to the same drink, at once gave it the far more original name of high-ball." The highball was the signal the conductor at rear of train gave by waving hand or a lantern in an arc high overhead, meaning it was OK to start the train towards next stop. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: highball #118925 01/06/2004 10:59 AM Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,692 UK dxb Pooh-Bah dxb Pooh-Bah Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,692 UK Talking about cocktails, Dr Bill, what about the Sidecar, is that also railway related? Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: highball #118926 01/06/2004 2:05 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 My guess would be motorcycle. I don't get the figure of speech involved though. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,916 Posts230,325 Members9,209 Most Online4,606 Sep 17th, 2025 Newest Members Peripatetic Toad, JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery 9,209 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 28 A C Bowden 10 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,168 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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