The one-horse shay is a light, covered, two-wheeled carriage for two persons, drawn by a single horse. The body is chairlike in shape and has one seat for passengers positioned above the axle which is hung by leather braces from wooden springs connected to the shafts.
A one-horse shay
The one-horse shay is an American adaptation,[1] originating in Union, Maine, of the French chaise. The one-horse shay is colloquially known in the US as a 'one-hoss shay'.
The English word shay is a back-formation from the French word chaise with the /z/ of that word taken as the plural ending -s. This is but one example of mistaking foreign singular words as if being English plurals; other examples include pea, cherry and sherry.
Whiskey variantedit
A smaller and more lightly constructed version of the one-horse shay is called a chair or 'whiskey' because it can "whisk" around other carriages and pass them quickly.[2]
Shay in literatureedit
American writer Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. memorialized the shay in his satirical poem [3][4] "The Deacon's Masterpiece or The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay". In the poem, a fictional deacon crafts the titular wonderful one-hoss shay in such a logical way that it could not break down. The shay is constructed from the very best of materials so that each part is as strong as every other part. In Holmes' humorous, yet "logical" twist, the shay endures for a hundred years (amazingly to the precise moment of the 100th anniversary of the Lisbon earthquake shock) then it "went to pieces all at once, and nothing first, — just as bubbles do when they burst". It was built in such a "logical way" that it ran for exactly one hundred years to the day.
Shay in economicsedit
In economics, the term "one-hoss shay" is used, following the scenario in Holmes' poem, to describe a model of depreciation, in which a durable product delivers the same services throughout its lifetime before failing with zero scrap value. A chair is a common example of such a product.[5]
^Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). Doris A. Isaacson (ed.). Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc. p. 160.
^. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
^"Encyclopædia Britannica article - One Horse Shay". Retrieved May 30, 2013.
^"The One-Hoss Shay by Oliver Wendell Holmes with illustrations by Howard Pyle - discussion of the satire is contained in the explanatory note entitled "logic, logical..." Retrieved May 30, 2013.
^"OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms - One-Hoss Shay". Retrieved May 30, 2013.
External linksedit
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wonderful "One-Hoss-Shay", by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
The "One-Hoss Shay" by Oliver Wendell Holmes with illustrations by Howard Pyle. Contains extensive explanatory notes
The Deacon’s Masterpiece or The Wonderful "One-Hoss Shay": A Logical Story. Contains explanatory notes and poem info
"The Deacon's Masterpiece or The Wonderful One-Hoss Shay" read by Eddie Albert, American actor, (1906-2005). From the 1962 Caedmon album "Great American Poetry".
The One-Hoss Shay public domain audiobook at LibriVox
January 01, 1970
horse, shay, horse, shay, light, covered, wheeled, carriage, persons, drawn, single, horse, body, chairlike, shape, seat, passengers, positioned, above, axle, which, hung, leather, braces, from, wooden, springs, connected, shafts, horse, shay, horse, shay, ame. The one horse shay is a light covered two wheeled carriage for two persons drawn by a single horse The body is chairlike in shape and has one seat for passengers positioned above the axle which is hung by leather braces from wooden springs connected to the shafts A one horse shay The one horse shay is an American adaptation 1 originating in Union Maine of the French chaise The one horse shay is colloquially known in the US as a one hoss shay Contents 1 Etymology 2 Whiskey variant 3 Shay in literature 4 Shay in economics 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksEtymology editThe English word shay is a back formation from the French word chaise with the z of that word taken as the plural ending s This is but one example of mistaking foreign singular words as if being English plurals other examples include pea cherry and sherry Whiskey variant editA smaller and more lightly constructed version of the one horse shay is called a chair or whiskey because it can whisk around other carriages and pass them quickly 2 Shay in literature editAmerican writer Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr memorialized the shay in his satirical poem 3 4 The Deacon s Masterpiece or The Wonderful One Hoss Shay In the poem a fictional deacon crafts the titular wonderful one hoss shay in such a logical way that it could not break down The shay is constructed from the very best of materials so that each part is as strong as every other part In Holmes humorous yet logical twist the shay endures for a hundred years amazingly to the precise moment of the 100th anniversary of the Lisbon earthquake shock then it went to pieces all at once and nothing first just as bubbles do when they burst It was built in such a logical way that it ran for exactly one hundred years to the day Shay in economics editIn economics the term one hoss shay is used following the scenario in Holmes poem to describe a model of depreciation in which a durable product delivers the same services throughout its lifetime before failing with zero scrap value A chair is a common example of such a product 5 See also editCarriage Horse drawn vehicleReferences edit Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums 1970 Doris A Isaacson ed Maine A Guide Down East Rockland Me Courier Gazette Inc p 160 Jane Austen Society of North America Northern California article Transports of Delight How Jane Austen s Characters Got Around by Ed Ratcliffe Archived from the original on July 20 2013 Retrieved May 30 2013 Encyclopaedia Britannica article One Horse Shay Retrieved May 30 2013 The One Hoss Shay by Oliver Wendell Holmes with illustrations by Howard Pyle discussion of the satire is contained in the explanatory note entitled logic logical Retrieved May 30 2013 OECD Glossary of Statistical Terms One Hoss Shay Retrieved May 30 2013 External links editThe Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wonderful One Hoss Shay by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr The One Hoss Shay by Oliver Wendell Holmes with illustrations by Howard Pyle Contains extensive explanatory notes The Deacon s Masterpiece or The Wonderful One Hoss Shay A Logical Story Contains explanatory notes and poem info The Deacon s Masterpiece or The Wonderful One Hoss Shay A Logical Story Contains discussion of a practical lesson that can be obtained from the poem The Deacon s Masterpiece or The Wonderful One Hoss Shay read by Eddie Albert American actor 1906 2005 From the 1962 Caedmon album Great American Poetry nbsp The One Hoss Shay public domain audiobook at LibriVox Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title One horse shay amp oldid 1186997174, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
