Puzzle #494 · October 8, 2026
boxcar
Featured
Every day one two-word expression or compound word used in American English.
A boxcar is an enclosed railroad freight car with sliding doors on the sides, used to transport goods that need protection from weather. It's the most common type of rail car and an icon of American industry and railroading.
Boxcars hold cultural significance beyond shipping. During the Great Depression, hobos rode in empty boxcars, hopping freight trains to travel the country looking for work. Woody Guthrie wrote about it. Jack Kerouac romanticized it. In a darker chapter, boxcars were used to transport prisoners to concentration camps during the Holocaust.
In dice games, “boxcars” means rolling double sixes.
Boxcars hold cultural significance beyond shipping. During the Great Depression, hobos rode in empty boxcars, hopping freight trains to travel the country looking for work. Woody Guthrie wrote about it. Jack Kerouac romanticized it. In a darker chapter, boxcars were used to transport prisoners to concentration camps during the Holocaust.
In dice games, “boxcars” means rolling double sixes.
Puzzle Appearances
The expression boxcar has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #494 on October 8, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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