A gig is a light, two-wheeled open

carriage A carriage is a two- or four-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle for passengers. In Europe they were a common mode of transport for the wealthy during the Roman Empire, and then again from around 1600 until they were replaced by the motor car around 1 ...

with large wheels, a forward facing seat, and shafts for a single horse. The gig's body is constructed above the shafts, and it is entered from step-irons hanging from the shaft in front of the wheels. Gigs are enclosed at the back, and have luggage space under the cross-seat. Early gigs were crude and unsprung; later gigs were elegant for town driving and were constructed with springs. The term "gig" is short for "

whirligig A whirligig is an object that spins or whirls, or has at least one part that spins or whirls. It can also be a Pinwheel (toy), pinwheel, Top (toy), spinning top, buzzer, comic weathervane, gee-haw, spinner, whirlygig, whirlijig, whirlyjig, whirl ...

". The ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...

'' gives the date of first known reference to a horse-drawn gig as 1791, and they were ubiquitous by the early 1800s. Gigs were typically named after their designers, builders, or their shape. There are several types of gig, including: * Dennett gig: Early 1800s resembling the Stanhope gig but with three springs, one crosswise and two horizontal * Skeleton gig: Very light; no luggage space. * Spider gig: Very high gig, French version had high outward curving dash and curved shafts. * Stanhope: typically having a high seat and closed back; designed and built by Fitzroy Stanhope around 1814. * Stick-back gig: designed with the seat back made of sticks or ribs. * Suicide gig: Very high gig popular in Ireland. Dangerous to drive or mount. *

Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a Tilbury Fort, 16th century fort ...

or Seven-spring gig: designed by Fitzroy Stanhope, but named after builder Tilbury. Heavier than the Stanhope because it had seven springs and two braces. Popular where roads were rough. *

Whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of liquor made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented grain mashing, mash. Various grains (which may be Malting, malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, Maize, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky ...

or whisky: lightweight, often constructed with canework. Named for whisking over the road. Gigs travelling at night would normally carry two oil lamps with thick glass, known as gig-lamps. This led to the formerly common slang word "giglamps" for "

spectacles Glasses, also known as eyeglasses (American English), spectacles (Commonwealth English), or colloquially as specs, are Visual perception, vision eyewear with clear or tinted lens (optics), lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front ...

". Nineteenth century literature frequently recounted "romantic tales of spills and hairbreadth capes" from these vehicles, but is equally fulsome on the fearful thrill experienced in driving them.

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