January, 2015 – Graham Miln

Origin of the Phrase: Trunk Line

I came away from Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry having learnt at least one snippet of fun, the origin of the phrase “trunk line”.

Trunk lines originated from the use of hollowed out tree trunks to duct water around cities. A few examples of these trunks were on display in the museum.

A literal “trunk line”
A literal “trunk line”