two eighteener
Preserved but no longer current.
An Americanism for a man or woman of the fastest kind—two minutes eighteen seconds, or close thereabouts, being the fastest time for a mile recorded in connexion with the Transatlantic national sport, trotting. "Two forty on a plank road," a once favourite expression with a similar meaning, derived from a feat of the famous trotting mare Flora Temple, has died out since trotting has become faster, and courses have been prepared on a different principle.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “two eighteener” mean?
An Americanism for a man or woman of the fastest kind—two minutes eighteen seconds, or close thereabouts, being the fastest time for a mile recorded in connexion with the Transatlantic national sport, trotting. "Two forty on a plank road," a once favourite expression with a similar meaning, derived from a feat of the famous trotting mare Flora Temple, has died out since trotting has become faster, and courses have been prepared on a different principle.
Is “two eighteener” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.