An indefinite term for a carriage of a useful rather than handsome kind, variable in capacity.
1814. It is an unfair sight, to see women guiding their carry-alls to pamper the city with their luscious melons, without a man.—Henry C. Knight (‘Arthur Singleton’), ‘Letters from the South and West,’ p. 27 (Boston, 1824).
1833. You can sartainly get along with that ar little carry-all.—James Hall, ‘Legends of the West,’ p. 191 (Phila.).
[For fuller quotation see PRIMING.]
1835. We prevailed upon an emigrant Northumbrian, whose north-country twang was a delight to my ears, to lend us his horse Tony, and another “carry-all”—one which only broke down five times before our return, ejecting us on each occasion into the road.—C. J. Latrobe, ‘The Rambler in North America,’ ii. 45 (N.Y.).
1837. We mounted the carry-all,—a carriage which holds four.—H. Martineau, ‘Society in America,’ i. 276. (N.E.D.)
1840. Queer carry-alls did these Buckeye boys construct; strange arks, drawn by four, six, eight, and ten horses: shaded with boughs, and carrying from fifteen to thirty of the hard-handed gentry.—Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, Sept. 12.
1850. One man, who raised the largest cucumbers, and had the most satisfactory children, and drove the prettiest carryall.—S. Judd, ‘Richard Edney,’ p. 46.
1853. Taking his wife in the old-fashioned but strong “carryall,” he journeyed some forty miles.—Daily Morning Herald, St. Louis, March 11.
1857. They came [to the frontier] in a one-horse ‘carry-all,’ and were apparently very poor.—Knick Mag., l. 440 (Nov.).
