When the blue meanies in Blogdonia get nasty with me, they make fun of my official Blogdonia name. :(Airhead, Deadbrain, etc. "Your name is perfect!" they like to sneer at me. *sigh*
And so, my first short post for the new year (getting in shape for my new blog-habits, shorter posts! more often!) will be to EXPLAIN "Deadhead" (noun) and "Deadheading" (verb).
Deadhead (noun): Fan of the Grateful Dead. (whom I hope need no introduction!)
Deadheading (aviation):
term used for a return flight made by a commercial aircraft without any cargo or paying passengers on board.Deadheading (gardening):
By extension, a member of an airline's flight staff carried free of charge but not working is known as a deadhead. This most often happens when airline crew are located in the wrong place and need to travel to take up their duties. This is also known as 'positioning.'
refers to the removal of dead or spent flowers either to encourage more flowering or to improve the general appearance of the plant. Most annuals and many perennials will continue to bloom throughout the growing season if deadheaded. Rudbeckia and Echinacea are good examples of perennials that benefit from deadheading.Deadheading (railroads):
when a crew is transported from one terminal to another, or needs to be transported to pick up a train. When deadheading they may travel by train or auto.I like all those definitions!
It also refers to the empty, non-revenue-generating movement of a passenger train to a station or yard as required by the schedule. These moves are usually performed to position the equipment and crews for an ensuing, scheduled revenue (passenger-carrying) run.
Admittedly, the floral reference is especially appropriate for me right now; we need to prune the tops of flowers to make the overall plant stronger. Indeed, we certainly do! The roots also benefit from generous deadheading. And what a coincidence, that I am in the process of doing this in my own life.
The name is still accurate and always will be.
Happy New Year, everyone!