Casey Jones
1
7.7
- proper noun
- /ˈkeɪsi dʒoʊnz/
- Many American folk songs tell the story of Casey Jones and his fateful ride.
Examples
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The legend of Casey Jones continues to inspire railroad workers to this day.
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Children learned about Casey Jones in school while studying railroad history.
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Casey Jones is a legend.
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Everyone should know about Casey Jones!
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Children learned about Casey Jones in school while studying railroad history.
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Many American folk songs tell the story of Casey Jones and his fateful ride.
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The legend of Casey Jones continues to inspire railroad workers to this day.
Synonyms
An American train engineer known as Casey Jones who died trying to stop his train, inspiring a famous ballad
Surface Forms
Morphology
Casey + Jones
This is a proper name referring to a specific historical/folk figure and song; the constituents ('Casey' — non-lexical here — and the surname 'Jones') give no information about the person's biography or the meaning of the reference. Knowledge of the name requires cultural or encyclopedic knowledge rather than composition from word meanings, so a B1 learner knowing the component words would not be able to derive the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Casey Jones comes from a real American train driver who died in 1900 while staying at his engine to try to stop a crash. A popular folk song told his story, so his name now suggests a 'hero' or someone 'heroic' who risks his life to save others.