jehu

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The Word of the Day for January 31 is: 

jehu   \JEE-hyoo\   noun
          : a driver of a coach or cab

Example sentence:
          The jehu who picked us up from the hotel got us to the airport in 
plenty of time, but his reckless driving gave us more of an adventure than we 
would have liked.
 

Did you know?
          Today's word comes from the name of a notoriously speedy chariot 
driver. Originally a commander of chariots for Ahab, king of Israel, Jehu later 
led a revolt against the throne and became king himself. In the Bible, it is 
noted of Jehu that "he drives furiously" (_II Kings_ 9:20). In the 17th 
century, English speakers began using "jehu" as a generic term meaning 
"coachman" or, specifically, "a fast or reckless coachman." Today, we are more 
likely to use the word in reference to reckless cabdrivers. The phrase "drives 
like Jehu" is encountered occasionally, too.





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