Saturday-night special
(US, historical) An overnight weekend train.
ˈsætɚˌdaɪnt ˈspɛʃəlDocumented since 1910s1910sSilenthistorical62 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
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Born ~1917 · no dated citations yet20th centurySee decade cohort →
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#1·Apr 27, 2026
(US, historical) An overnight weekend train.
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(US, obsolete) A seasonal (usually October to December) sale on Saturday evening.
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#3·Apr 27, 2026
(US) An inexpensive, easily obtained handgun.
Origin: Attested from 1917, akin to Saturday-night pistol attested from 1915. Not entirely clear, but perhaps from phrases like “Saturday night pistol slaying” and “Saturday night pistol scrape” often found in early 20th century local crime reporting due to the fact that Saturday evening had been the peak time for homicides and similar crimes. Also likely to be enforced by the obsolete meaning of a cheap sale and usage of "Special" in the context of more powerful firearms like Colt Police Positive Special. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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Other words near "Saturday-night special" (S)
SATsatinflowersattlesattuSaturdaySaturday-morning cartoonSaturdayssatviksatyagrahaSaucepansaudagarsaught
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