Cambridge – Hobson’s Choice

I never knew until today that the phrase Hobson’s Choice has its origins in Cambridge. It seems that the origin of this idiom is attributed to Thomas Hobson (1544-1630/1631) who was a carrier and livery stable owner in the city. Hobson ran a thriving business, renting horses to the many students and academics at the university, as well as operating a mail service to London and as part of that he maintained a large stable of around 40 horses.

Hobson noticed that customers consistently favoured his fastest and strongest horses, leading to their overwork while others remained idle, a situation which he considered entirely sub-optimal. To prevent this and to ensure the well-being of his entire stable, he implemented a strict policy which was that customers had to take the horse nearest to the stable door which was the one that was most rested. If they didn’t want that particular horse, they wouldn’t get any horse from him, so their choice was somewhat limited.

And the plaque on the wall on Regent Street.