Chrysti the Wordsmith > Radio Scripts

The invention and proliferation of the automobile in the early twentieth century required scores of new and retrofitted terms to denominate this technology. As the automobile drove its way through the heart of our country, the words it inspired were on the lips of every American.

Motel is a word that owes its popularity to the invention of the auto. This word made its linguistic debut in 1925 in San Louis Obispo, California, where separate cottages with attached garages were offered to overnight motor guests. This California establishment was the first to be called a motel, the word being a blend of "motor" and "hotel."

Jaywalk is another term inspired by the automobile culture. A jaywalker crosses busy streets disregarding traffic regulations. This term was inspired by the blue jay, a bird often associated with rural living. "Jay" is an early term meaning rustic or hick. Ignorant of the traffic patterns of busy streets, the visiting country folk or "jays" wandered across thoroughfares, imperiling themselves and motorists.

The term dashboard, referring to the panel mounted beneath the windshield of a car, was originally a plank mounted on the front of a horse-drawn carriage to prevent mud from being "dashed" up from the horses hooves into the vehicle. The evolution of the term dashboard is an example of an old word accommodating new technology.

Radio Script > Automobile Words