I recall that while Ralph Budd was interested in the writings of Chaucer, the Q management was actually planning to refer to the train as the "Last word in Travel" so they were looking for the last word in a dictionary. It wasn't "Zephyr or Zephyrus", but they was close and made sense in other ways.
Bill Barber Gravois Mills, MO Fri Jun 5, 2015 5:39 pm (PDT) . Posted by:That's right, Pete. Except that Zephyrus was the god of the west wind, which is even better. If you want to pick out what may have attracted Mr. Budd, it may have been the combination of lines 5-6 and 12:
5 "Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
6 Inspired hath…
...
12 Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,…"
In modern English:
5 "When Zephyrus (god of the west wind) has, with his sweet breath,
6 Quickened again (i.e., renewed life)…
...
12 Then do folk long to go on pilgrimage,…"
In other words, Zephyrus, the symbol of renewal from Everywhere West, renews and inspires people's desires to go on journeys. The imagery, though arcane, is actually pretty clever and apt for the CB&Q's new passenger trains.
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Posted by: William Barber <clipperw@gmail.com>
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