In the intro cinematic for the popular Medieval fantasy video game, Skyrim, the player finds herself in a wagon full of prisoners being hauled to a fort for punishment. When the wagon arrives, one of the prisoners mutters that it’s “the end of the line.”

Did a nasty squealing-to-a-halt sound just rip through your mind?  Then you must know that “end of the line” is railroad terminology. The phrase has no place in a pre-industrial setting like Skyrim.

Historical fiction and fantasy  occasionally stumble over technologically misplaced language that can knock informed readers out of the story.  (Or informed viewers … check out this piece on the timeliness of fonts in the TV series “Mad Men.”) If you want to avoid jarring and alienating your smartest fans, it can help to know the technological origins of some of English’s common words and phrases.

In this new series, I’ll introduce you to some terms you might not know originated in a specific technology. If the tech’s not part of your setting, you can detour around the terminology.  On the other hand, if it is part of your setting, you can find interesting ways to use the jargon!

And, although the series is called “Timely Terms,” it’s not merely about anachronism; if your setting is a desert world with no oceans (and therefore no sailing) you might want to avoid language derived from the Age of Sail.  But, let’s get started with the first topic, suggested by Skyrim: the railroad. Continue reading →