Let's pull in there.

[sitifan]

"There, let's pull in there and walk." Catherine exclaimed. Reason pulled the car off the highway onto a dirt area and drove about 30 yards and parked the car.
https://books.google.com.tw/books?id...ere%22&f=false

In the above passage, does the verb "pull" mean "drive"?

[Raymott]

It probably derives from pulling the steering wheel in that direction.
You pull into a petrol (gas) station.
If a cop is behind you flashing his blue light, you "pull over" (move to the edge of the road and stop).
If you are at a red light, you "pull up".

[jutfrank]

As Raymott suggests, you need to think of this as a phrasal verb pull in (not pull), which basically means 'drive off the (main part of the) road with the intention of stopping the car'. In this case, the driver drives off the road, into a dirt area, and parks the car. In other contexts, it can mean 'drive into a space at the side of the road and stop'.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I believe it's one of those expressions that have outlived their literal meanings — like calling movies films even even though they're mostly digital now.

Before the world was filled with cars and trucks, people traveled by carriages and wagons that were pulled by horses and other animals.

And a when wagon arrived at its destination, the driver had the horses pull the wagon in to the place and stop.


Bonus trivia: A bygone term for car was horseless carriage.

[sitifan]

I believe it's one of those expressions that have outlived their literal meanings — like calling movies films even even though they're mostly digital now.

A typo?

[Charlie Bernstein]

A typo?

Yes. Sorry. Just one even.