Why do we say "Go West Young Man"?

Well-Known Expressions

Go West Young Man

Meaning:

In its literal sense: Greater opportunities are available in the American West for pioneering spirits, but can also be used metaphorically in the context of striking out for pastures new.

Background:

Often attributed to the founder and editor of the New York Tribune, Horace Greeley (1811-72), who used the expression frequently. However, the real author is thought to be John Babsone Lane Soule, the editor of the Indiana based Terre Haute Express who first offered the advice in 1851. Between 1840 and 1870 over 250,000 people traveled from the Missouri River to the Pacific.

More expressions and their source

Challenge yourself with BookBrowse Wordplays

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
The Cover Girl
by Amy Rossi

Members Recommend

Who Said...

The good writer, the great writer, has what I have called the three S's: The power to see, to sense, and to say. ...

Click Here to find out who said this, as well as discovering other famous literary quotes!

Book
Trivia

  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

W the C A the M W P

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.