A horse-drawn carriage for hire, or a borough in East London, England; can also mean something that has become worn out from overuse.
Originally from Hackney, a district in London known for breeding horses in the 14th century. The horses from this area became famous for being strong and reliable work animals, leading to the term being applied to any carriage for public hire, and eventually to anything overused or commonplace.
The word 'hackney' gave us the term 'hack'—originally meaning a horse or carriage for hire, it evolved into slang for a taxi driver, and then for any mediocre or overworked writer producing content for pay. One English place name spawned a whole vocabulary of exhaustion and commonality!
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