Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast RETRO 187 At a Crossroads
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Dec 31, 2025 They trace the phrase "at a crossroads" from literal 18th-century road junctions to figurative turning points. They explore crossroads as meeting places, sites of risky dealings, and moral warnings. Political and religious uses, Robert Johnson's Crossroad Blues, and crossroads in modern media and art also come up. Plus a quirky detour into 1700s SEO and pet names.
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Crossroads Began As A Physical Hub
- Crossroads originally meant a physical intersection and served as a natural meeting and activity hub.
- That public role led to symbolic meanings tied to decisions and important life moments.
Patron Tale Sparked The Crossroads Inquiry
- Shauna recalls a patron's story about a guitarist claiming to have sold his soul at a crossroads.
- That prompted her to research why crossroads became linked with Faustian bargains.
Figurative Crossroads Emerged In Literature
- By the late 1700s and 1800s 'crossroads' gained a figurative sense as a critical turning point.
- Writers used the image to describe moral, life, and developmental choices for individuals and nations.
