dashboard [M19th] This was originally a board or leather apron on the front of a vehicle to stop mud from being splashed by the horses’ heels into the interior or movable side pieces of a cart which served the same purpose. This was transferred to the control panel in motor vehicles at the beginning of the 20th century. To dash [ME] originally meant to strike against, so could apply to mud splashing. It developed the sense ‘destroy, bring to nothing’ in the 16th century, which is the source of to dash someone’s hopes [L16th].