The expression “I brook no truck with you” is a double whammy expression in that both “brook” and “truck” have literal meanings as well as figurative meanings. On a literal level, the expression makes no sense whatsoever. However, figuratively, there’s quite an interesting history to be uncovered!
Let’s deal with “truck” first and then come back to “brook.” Truck comes from the French “troquer” meaning “to barter”. So “to truck” is to become involved with something or someone. This meaning comes from the Middle English word trukien first used in 1175.
Mark Twain’s book The True Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was set in Missouri in the 1830’s and first published in February 1885. In the novel, Huckleberry Finn says:
“It was just like I thought, He didn’t hold no truck with the likes of me.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,’s novel The Sign of the Four was the second novel he wrote that featuredSherlock Holmes. It was published in 1890 but set in Victorian England in 1887 while referencing the Indian Rebellion (in India) of 1857. In the novel, readers find the following passage:
‘How can I decide?’ said I. ‘You have not told me what you want of me. But I tell you now that if it is anything against the safety of the fort I will have no truck with it, so you can drive home your knife and welcome.’
Now on to the word “brook” which also has an interesting history. Brook comes from the Middle English word brouken which means “to use.” Brouken comes from the Old English word brucan which is akin to the Old High German word bruhhan which means “to use.” The word “brook” in this sense came to mean “to tolerate.”
When “brook” and “truck” are coupled in the expression “I brook no truck with you” it means the individual speaking tolerates absolutely no dealings with and completely rejects any association with the person or persons with whom — or of whom — he or she is speaking.
Historically Speaking 