Armstrong steering, hungry boards and dollies
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (381837)
Rockingham, Australia
November 25, 2017 7:20pm CST
Yesterday we went to a food and wine festival in our local town. We enjoyed a wine and some lunch then came home for a few hours before going back to help a friend to pack up her wine stand. Her husband has left her for someone else and she is trying to run a vineyard and winery on her own. We offered to pack up the small marquee affair as she had another function to run back at the vineyard.
We packed the marquee and various other bits and pieces into her old work utility. It has what we call ‘Armstrong steering’ meaning that it doesn’t have power steering so is very heavy to steer particularly at a slow speed in a restricted space. Hence you need strong arms to drive it.
Armstrong steering made me think of ‘hungry boards’ which are boards put round the top of grain bins on trucks to enable the farmer to add a few extra kilos or pounds. I guess the term came about through farmers being greedy to add extra to their loads. And hungry boards reminded me of ‘dollies’ which a name sometimes given to the trailer towed behind a big truck, I guess much like a child would tow their doll along behind them.
Isn’t it interesting how these unusual terms come about?
18 people like this
20 responses
@teamfreak16 (43573)
• Denver, Colorado
26 Nov 17
Interesting. Here a dolly is used to be able to wheel a heavy load from point A to point B
7 people like this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Nov 17
The Armstrong bit is a joke meaning you need strong arms to steer it.
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
26 Nov 17
I used to own an armstrong! We call hungry boards, side boards. and dollies are dollies!
3 people like this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Nov 17
By 'armstrong' do you mean a vehicle without power steering?
@snowy22315 (208788)
• United States
26 Nov 17
Yes, it is always interesting to find out how things got their names.
2 people like this
@allen0187 (59654)
• Philippines
27 Nov 17
@JudyEv here in the Philippines we call it 'pawis steering' a play on 'power steering'. 'Pawis' is actually 'sweat' in our language which means that you'll likely sweat driving this kind of car.
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Nov 17
@allen0187 That's a very apt description too. It is hard work driving a big vehicle if it doesn't have power steering.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
26 Nov 17
not heard of hungry boards before - interesting
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Nov 17
Yes, it is. I have heard of and used "armstrong steering" and have seen those "hungry boards" on trucks, though I am not sure what they are called here. Dollies here are those things that you stack boxes on in order to tilt is back and move a large load. The word may be used for trailers too though.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
26 Nov 17
@JudyEv Oh yes, so that is a "ute," Interesting differences. A neighbor of mine in his 80s just recently spent three weeks visiting an old"mate" there who is ill. Might have been in Adelaide. I will have to ask him. He was once there on a teacher exchange.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 Nov 17
@JamesHxstatic Adelaide is a nice city. A bit like Perth in being more laidback and not so frantically busy like the larger Sydney and Melbourne. It's sometimes called the city of churches.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40230)
• United States
26 Nov 17
I hadn't heard of hungry boards or dollies, fun story though
2 people like this
(Re: that lady, I feel a bit sad for her, being left for another woman!)
@averygirl72 (38849)
• Philippines
28 Nov 17
I learn interesting terms today but I can't still imagine how it works
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
28 Nov 17
I have never heard of Armstrong steering. Yes, it is funny how these words evolve.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Nov 17
Did you read @allen0187's response? In the Philippines they call it 'pawis' steering which sounds a bit like power steering but 'pawis' actually means 'sweat' so they have thought up something quite similar to 'armstrong'.
2 people like this
@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 17
@JudyEv - I love these unusual terms and, when you explain them, they make perfect sense!
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (40844)
• Laguna Woods, California
27 Nov 17
@JudyEv - I think it is clever, too! Such fun!
1 person likes this
@misunderstood_zombie (8765)
• United States
26 Nov 17
How kind of you and your husband to help her with her stand. I've used a dollies many times in moves, but it's powered by holding it and walking. I also love to learn about words--their starting points, how the meaning changes through time, and the difference the word means at different parts of the world.
1 person likes this
