The number of elevators has grown significantly since 1990, when the Americans With Disabilities Act set off a transformation of the aging transit system. For the disabled, the changes promised to open doors, while thousands of other straphangers—parents with strollers, older travelers—expected a small dose of convenience in a wearying city.
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Straphanger — is a nickname for a standing subway or bus passenger who grips a hanging strap (nowadays usually an overhead horizontal bar) for support. The name is thought to have originated in the late 1800s when elevated trains had leather straps for the… … Wikipedia
straphanger — (n.) also strap hanger bus or subway rider, 1905, from STRAP (Cf. strap) (n.) + HANGER (Cf. hanger). In reference to the hanging straps in cars meant to be held on to by those without seats … Etymology dictionary
straphanger — [strap′haŋ΄ər] n. Informal a standing passenger, as on a crowded bus or subway car, who holds onto a hanging strap or the like for support … English World dictionary
straphanger — n. A person who rides the subway. Example Citation: An imposing and formal man, Prescott Bush commuted for years to Grand Central Station, then rode down to Wall Street on the subway. He d die now, according to George s sister Nancy, with limos… … New words
straphanger — n. a subway passenger. □ I didn’t think I could get used to being a straphanger. □ Straphangers learn to blot out their surroundings … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
straphanger — noun Date: 1905 a standing passenger in a subway, streetcar, bus, or train who clings for support to one of the short straps or similar devices placed along the aisle • straphang intransitive verb … New Collegiate Dictionary
straphanger — /strap hang euhr/, n. 1. a passenger who stands in a crowded bus or subway train and holds onto a strap or other support suspended from above. 2. any user of such public transportation. [1900 05; STRAP + HANGER] * * * … Universalium
straphanger — Synonyms and related words: adventurer, alpinist, astronaut, camper, climber, comers and goers, commuter, cosmopolite, cruiser, excursionist, explorer, fare, globe girdler, globe trotter, goer, hajji, jet set, jet setter, journeyer, mariner,… … Moby Thesaurus
straphanger — strap|hang|er [ stræp,hæŋər ] noun count INFORMAL a passenger who rides on a crowded bus or train … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
straphanger — n. passenger travelling on a bus or subway who grips a hanging strap for support; person who uses public transportation … English contemporary dictionary
