DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Hax Community
HTML https://haxnuts.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Interesting stuff
*****************************************************
#Post#: 346625--------------------------------------------------
Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: Cairn terrier
Date: September 14, 2025, 9:32 am
---------------------------------------------------------
With the milkman not making deliveries for the last 60 years or
so, has the expression "milk run" fallen out of use? I thought
it was still in regular use, and everyone would know what it
was, but this article treats it like it's foreign; like a
literal translation from Norwegian:
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/business/energy-environment/norway-electric-plane-green-energy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.l08.Km_l.RNB_0G8v7i5S&smid=url-share<br
/>
#Post#: 346627--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: farmgirl
Date: September 14, 2025, 9:56 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Cairn terrier link ---
>
> With the milkman not making deliveries for the last 60 years
or so, has the expression "milk run" fallen out of use? I
thought it was still in regular use, and everyone would know
what it was, but this article treats it like it's foreign; like
a literal translation from Norwegian:
>
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/business/energy-environment/norway-electric-plane-green-energy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.l08.Km_l.RNB_0G8v7i5S&smid=url-share
>
--- End Quote ---
.
I was not aware that “milk run” referred to deliveries by a
milkman and I’m old. I always thought it referred to the
railway - local runs with frequent stops rather than express
trains.
Last I heard there was still milk delivery here and there,
including in my area. It’s more a farm to table type thing -
knowing where your milk comes from and very local. I have’t
checked lately to see if it’s still an option.
Also
#Post#: 346641--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: Cairn terrier
Date: September 14, 2025, 10:47 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: farmgirl link ---
>
> [quote author=Cairn terrier
link=topic=3739.msg346625#msg346625 date=1757860349]
> With the milkman not making deliveries for the last 60 years
or so, has the expression "milk run" fallen out of use? I
thought it was still in regular use, and everyone would know
what it was, but this article treats it like it's foreign; like
a literal translation from Norwegian:
>
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/business/energy-environment/norway-electric-plane-green-energy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.l08.Km_l.RNB_0G8v7i5S&smid=url-share
>
--- End Quote ---
.
I was not aware that “milk run” referred to deliveries by a
milkman and I’m old. I always thought it referred to the
railway - local runs with frequent stops rather than express
trains.
Last I heard there was still milk delivery here and there,
including in my area. It’s more a farm to table type thing -
knowing where your milk comes from and very local. I have’t
checked lately to see if it’s still an option.
Also
[/quote]
Interesting. Wikipedia says it could be either:
HTML https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_run#:~:text=Originally%20from%20United%20States%20Army,i.e%20Highway%201%20in%20Vietnam).
#Post#: 346642--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: Talitha
Date: September 14, 2025, 10:53 am
---------------------------------------------------------
According to Merriam-Webster...
--- Quote ---
> milk run
> noun
> : a short, routine, or uneventful flight
>
> Etymology
> from the resemblance in regularity and uneventfulness to the
morning delivery of milk
>
> First Known Use
> 1943, in the meaning defined above
>
> Recent Example on the Web
> "Across the Mediterranean and Caribbean, milk runs will always
the driving force
> of summer and winter charters."
> —Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 30 May 2025
--- End Quote ---
So it's idiomatic and seems to still be current usage.
I love learning more word/phrase origins, so thanks.
The article was interesting, too.
💚
🐸
#Post#: 346645--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: acl-ny
Date: September 14, 2025, 11:36 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Ha! I always thought it had to do with a person running out to
the store to get milk because they ran out.
‘Oh, the milk went bad, have to make a quick milk run to the
store.’ Maybe followed by ‘need anything while I’m there?’
😊
#Post#: 346648--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: MidwestmikkiJ
Date: September 14, 2025, 12:04 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Cairn terrier link ---
>
> With the milkman not making deliveries for the last 60 years
or so, has the expression "milk run" fallen out of use? I
thought it was still in regular use, and everyone would know
what it was, but this article treats it like it's foreign; like
a literal translation from Norwegian:
>
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/business/energy-environment/norway-electric-plane-green-energy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.l08.Km_l.RNB_0G8v7i5S&smid=url-share
>
--- End Quote ---
My understanding of milk run is that it was the trains that
collected the milk from small farm towns and brought to the
larger cities. The train was called a milk run because it made
frequent stops at these tiny places.
#Post#: 346656--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: northbayteky
Date: September 14, 2025, 1:07 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: MidwestmikkiJ link ---
>
> [quote author=Cairn terrier
link=topic=3739.msg346625#msg346625 date=1757860349]
> With the milkman not making deliveries for the last 60 years
or so, has the expression "milk run" fallen out of use? I
thought it was still in regular use, and everyone would know
what it was, but this article treats it like it's foreign; like
a literal translation from Norwegian:
>
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/business/energy-environment/norway-electric-plane-green-energy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.l08.Km_l.RNB_0G8v7i5S&smid=url-share
>
--- End Quote ---
My understanding of milk run is that it was the trains that
collected the milk from small farm towns and brought to the
larger cities. The train was called a milk run because it made
frequent stops at these tiny places.
[/quote]
This explains why I've never heard of it. For 1 thing, the dairy
farms are not far. And there aren't a lot of trains around
here. The milk was delivered by truck to stores. We did have
delivery to our home for a while.
Like [member=31]acl-ny[/member] it meant to run out for milk to
us.
#Post#: 346664--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: MidwestmikkiJ
Date: September 14, 2025, 1:43 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: northbayteky link ---
>
> [quote author=MidwestmikkiJ
link=topic=3739.msg346648#msg346648 date=1757869462]
> [quote author=Cairn terrier
link=topic=3739.msg346625#msg346625 date=1757860349]
> With the milkman not making deliveries for the last 60 years
or so, has the expression "milk run" fallen out of use? I
thought it was still in regular use, and everyone would know
what it was, but this article treats it like it's foreign; like
a literal translation from Norwegian:
>
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/business/energy-environment/norway-electric-plane-green-energy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.l08.Km_l.RNB_0G8v7i5S&smid=url-share
>
--- End Quote ---
My understanding of milk run is that it was the trains that
collected the milk from small farm towns and brought to the
larger cities. The train was called a milk run because it made
frequent stops at these tiny places.
[/quote]
This explains why I've never heard of it. For 1 thing, the dairy
farms are not far. And there aren't a lot of trains around
here. The milk was delivered by truck to stores. We did have
delivery to our home for a while.
Like [member=31]acl-ny[/member] it meant to run out for milk to
us.
[/quote]
I think milk was trucked from farms directly to the creameries
by the time I was born - at least in my part of Minnesota. We
had a creamery in town which is now long gone.
My Dad though used to refer to the local trains as milk runs
because they stopped so often. By the time I was in school, so
late 50s, passenger service stopped to our town. After that all
the trains were freight. For a long time we had lots of them
hauling grain from Montana and the Dakotas or iron ore from the
Iron Range to ships in Duluth.
#Post#: 346669--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: kkt
Date: September 14, 2025, 1:54 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Cairn terrier link ---
>
> With the milkman not making deliveries for the last 60 years
or so, has the expression "milk run" fallen out of use? I
thought it was still in regular use, and everyone would know
what it was, but this article treats it like it's foreign; like
a literal translation from Norwegian:
>
HTML https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/business/energy-environment/norway-electric-plane-green-energy.html?unlocked_article_code=1.l08.Km_l.RNB_0G8v7i5S&smid=url-share
>
--- End Quote ---
I knew what it was.
But then, at least one dairy in my neighborhood still delivers
milk bottles.
#Post#: 346688--------------------------------------------------
Re: Is "milk run" no longer used?
DIR By: pamelaaos
Date: September 14, 2025, 5:17 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to see if any of the farms here deliver milk. If they
do, I have an antique milk box on my front porch (as well as a
large Borden milk can) for decoration, so it could come in handy
again! LOL!
The last time we had milk delivery was when I was in 4th grade,
and the milk box I have on my front porch looks like the one we
had then.
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 2
DIR Next Page