Thomas Hobson

Thomas Hobson

Thomas Hobson (1544–1 January 1631 [cite book|title=Penguin Pocket On This Day|publisher=Penguin Reference Library|isbn=0-141-02715-0|year=2006] ), sometimes called "The Cambridge Carrier," is best known as the name behind the expression Hobson's choice.

A carrier from Cambridge, England, Hobson delivered mail between London and Cambridge, operating a livery stable outside the gates of St Catharine's College. When they were not needed to deliver mail, Hobson's horses were rented to students and academic staff of the university.

Hobson soon discovered that his best (and fastest) horses were the most popular, and overworked. To prevent further exhaustion of his best horses, Hobson devised a strict rotation system, only allowing customers to rent the next horse in line. His policy, "this one or none," has come to be known as "Hobson's choice," when an apparent choice is in fact no choice at all. The term originated in the mid-seventeenth century. [ [http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19961021 The Mavens' Word of the Day: Hobson's choice] ]

The poet John Milton popularized both Hobson and the phrase, twice commemorating him in epitaphs, and in issue 509 of Addison and Steele's "The Spectator" from 1712.

In addition to his contribution to English vernacular, Hobson is also remembered for his involvement in the construction of Hobson's Conduit, a man-made watercourse built in 1614 to provide clean drinking water to the city of Cambridge. Hobson was one of the primary benefactors of the new stream. [ [http://www.follytowers.com/hobsons.html Hobson's Conduit at Follies, Folly Towers Obelisks and Monuments around the UK] ] Hobson's Conduit is alternatively known as [http://www.greenbeltproject.org.uk/w_hob.html Hobson's Brook] . Hobson bought Anglesey Priory in 1625 and converted it into a country house, which under the name Anglesey Abbey, now belongs to the National Trust.

References

External links

* [http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/archive/2003/12/23.html Dictionary.com's Word of the Day, Dec. 23, 2003]
* [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/portrait.asp?LinkID=mp02207&rNo=0&role=sit Portrait of Thomas Hobson] , Oil on Canvas


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Thomas Hobson — auf einem zeitgenössischen Gemälde vom 1629 Thomas Hobson auf einer Darst …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Thomas Hobson — (1544–1er janvier 1631), parfois appelé «le courrier de Cambridge», est surtout connu pour l expression «le choix de Hobson». Employé de poste de Cambridge, Hobson livrait le courrier sur la ligne Londres Cambridge et possédait une… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hobson's Conduit — was built from 1610 to 1614 by Thomas Hobson to bring fresh water into the city of Cambridge, England from springs at Nine Wells (coord|52.166|N|0.1349|E|type:landmark region:GB|name=Hobson Conduit (sprint at Nine Wells)), near the village of… …   Wikipedia

  • Hobson (surname) — Hobson is a surname, and may refer toAcademics* Annie Leigh Hobson Broughton, American academic administrator * E. W. Hobson, British mathematician * James Allan Hobson (born 1933), American psychologist, professor of psychiatry at the Harvard… …   Wikipedia

  • Hobson — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Allan Hobson (* 1933), US amerikanischer Psychiater Ernest William Hobson (1856–1933), britischer Mathematiker John Atkinson Hobson (1858–1940), englischer Publizist und Ökonom Peter Hobson (* 1949),… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hobson's choice — English university slang term, supposedly a reference to Thomas Hobson (c.1544 1631), Cambridge stable manager who let horses and gave customers a choice of the horse next in line or none at all. Phrase popularized c.1660 by Milton, who was at… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Hobson's choice — ► NOUN ▪ a choice of taking what is offered or nothing at all. ORIGIN named after Thomas Hobson (1554 1631), a carrier who hired out horses, making the customer take the one nearest the door or none at all …   English terms dictionary

  • Hobson's choice — A Hobson s choice is a free choice in which only one option is offered, and one may refuse to take that option. The choice is therefore between taking the option or not taking it, colloquially formulated as take it or leave it. The phrase Hobson… …   Wikipedia

  • Hobson's Choice — Where to elect there is but one. Tis Hobson s choice take that or none. Thomas Ward    When, years ago, you went to buy a Ford, and the auto dealer said take any color as long as it s black, you were given Hobson s choice. The choice boils down… …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • Hobson’s choice — n [U] a situation in which there is no choice, because only one course of action or result is possible. The expression comes from the name of Thomas Hobson, a 17th–century British horse dealer who would not allow his customers any choice when… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”