Bluerauder
12-11-2009, 11:14 AM
Most of us know the words to the song “Jingle Bells” at least in the popular versions that have played on the radio for years. The original title was “One Horse Open Sleigh” and dates back to September 1857. The final verse goes like this …..
“Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed bay
Two forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you'll take the lead."
So there seems to be a long and storied history of young guys, young girls and fast vehicles. Who would have guessed "Jingle Bells" was really about drag racing. ;)
The “two forty” speed refers to 2:40 (or 2 minutes & 40 seconds) for a trotter in the mile. That’s 160 seconds or roughly equivalent to 40 seconds in the Quartermile.
“Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young,
Take the girls tonight
and sing this sleighing song;
Just get a bobtailed bay
Two forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you'll take the lead."
So there seems to be a long and storied history of young guys, young girls and fast vehicles. Who would have guessed "Jingle Bells" was really about drag racing. ;)
The “two forty” speed refers to 2:40 (or 2 minutes & 40 seconds) for a trotter in the mile. That’s 160 seconds or roughly equivalent to 40 seconds in the Quartermile.