Charley horse

Charley horse
Other namesCharley,[1] Charley-horse,[2] charlie horse, leg cramp
SpecialtySports medicine

Charley horse is a non specific term, typically used to refer to a muscle cramp, stiffness, or contusion.[3][4] Generally it is used for the thigh, calf, or foot,[5] or more rarely, the arm.[6] The term may be used interchangeably with dead leg or thigh contusion, referring to an injury caused by a physical blow to the leg or thigh.[7]

The term came into use in the setting of baseball in the United States in the 1880s,[8] though its exact origin is uncertain.[9]

Etymology

The first known written use of the term was in 1886 in The Boston Globe.[10][11] The origination has been attributed to two baseball players, Jack Glasscock and Joe Quest.[12] However, its exact origins are unknown.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Thigh Contusion: Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention". Cleveland Clinic. Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  2. ^ "charley horse, n. – Variant forms". OED - Oxford English Dictionary Online. Archived from the original on 2025-05-03. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
  3. ^ "Definition of CHARLEY HORSE". www.merriam-webster.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  4. ^ Simon, Robert Rutha; Koenigsknecht, Steven J. (2001). Emergency Orthopedics: The Extremities. McGraw Hill Professional. p. 413. ISBN 978-0-8385-2210-3. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  5. ^ Allen RE, Kirby KA (2012). "Nocturnal Leg Cramps". American Family Physician. 86 (4): 350–355. PMID 22963024. Archived from the original on 2016-03-29. Retrieved 2016-09-10.
  6. ^ Quinion, Michael (1999-03-13). "Charley horse". World Wide Words. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
  7. ^ "Thigh contusion". fittoplay.org. Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-03-16.
  8. ^ Dickson, Paul (13 June 2011). The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (Third ed.). W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 176–177. ISBN 978-0-393-07349-2.
  9. ^ Quinion, Michael (1999-03-13). "Charley horse". World Wide Words. Retrieved 2025-10-31.
  10. ^ "Definition of CHARLEY HORSE". www.merriam-webster.com. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  11. ^ "charley horse, n. — Green's Dictionary of Slang". greensdictofslang.com. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  12. ^ "Read This if You've Ever Wondered Why It's Called a 'Charley Horse'". HuffPost. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  13. ^ O'Conner, Patricia T.; Kellerman, Stewart (24 August 2010). Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language. Random House Publishing Group. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-8129-7810-0. Retrieved 20 October 2025.

Other references

  • Shulman D (1949). "Whence "Charley Horse"?". American Speech. 24 (2): 100–104. doi:10.2307/486616. JSTOR 486616.
  • Tonbridge SV (1950). ""Charley Horse" Again". American Speech. 25 (1): 70.
  • Woolf HB (1973). "Mencken as Etymologist: Charley Horse and Lobster Trick". American Speech. 48 (3/4): 229–238. doi:10.2307/3087830. JSTOR 3087830.
  • The dictionary definition of charley horse at Wiktionary
  • The dictionary definition of dead leg at Wiktionary
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