Editor's Corner

Hello, folks!

As I wandered through the results of “Where does the phrase pear-shaped come from,” I had a couple other phrases to check out. The submitter asked about other phrases meaning “things gone wrong,” “getting off-track,” “unexpected,” “uncontrollable.” One of these other terms she mentioned was “going off the rails.”

The following information is from The Grammarist. I’ve condensed it a bit, but you can see the full article on the web page.

When something or someone is described as “off the rails,” it means that they have deviated from what’s usually considered normal or expected for the situation. You can use this phrase to describe situations or individuals who have gone awry or lost control.

To get to the roots of the phrase “off the rails,” you have to go back to the 1800s and the world of rail transportation, aka trains. When a train goes off the rails or is “derailed,” it veers off its intended track, leading to accidents, delays or general chaos.

Origin of Off the Rails

Off the rails usage trend.

[KC –I wonder why it suddenly made a resurgence in the 2000s?]

Additional terms that mean the same thing as “off the rails:”

· Astray

· Chaotic

· Disorderly

· Frenzied

· Messy

· Muddled

· Out of control

· Unhinged

· Unruly

Examples, courtesy of AI:

• “After losing his job, he started acting completely off the rails and was getting into trouble with the law."
• "The meeting quickly went off the rails when the heated debate turned personal."
• "The project was running smoothly until the key investor pulled out, sending everything off the rails."
• "The movie started well but then took a strange turn, ending up completely off the rails in the final act."

Happy Tuesday!
Here’s hoping your train stays on its rails and that you have a smooth ride.

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

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