| E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898. |
| | | Rail. | | |
|
To sit on the rail. To shuffle off a direct answer; to hedge or to fence; to reserve the decision of one’s vote. Here rail means the fence, and “to sit on the rail” to sit on one side. A common American phrase. | 1 |
| |
“If he said ‘Yes,’ there was an end to any church support at once; if ‘No,’ he might as well go home at once. So he tried to sit on the rail again.”—T. Terrell: Lady Delmar, chap. i. |
|
| |
|
|
