"<to be> in the tank for <someone>"

[Wilson Gray]

On 1/2/06, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: "<to be> in the tank for <someone>"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> >FWIW, sounds like boxing to me. A fighter who goes into the tank for
> >someone has agreed to throw the fight,
>
> Cf. also the verb "to tank", as used in various sports.  First OED
> cite 1976, with a tennis reference--but wasn't it around earlier, in
> boxing (= 'take a dive') or elsewhere?
>
>Larry

That's certainly my impression.

BTW, judging by Ben's cite, there are apparently "tasseled-loafer" law
firms as well as "white-shoe" law firms.

-Wilson
>
> >with the meaning perhaps
> >influenced by "be in bed with."
> >
> >-Wilson
> >
> >On 1/1/06, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>-----------------------
> >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  Poster:       Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> >>  Subject:      Re: "<to be> in the tank for <someone>"
> >>
> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>  I see Mark has already posted his query to the Usenet newsgroup
> >>  alt.usage.english, where it's generated a lot of discussion. Richard
> >>  Maurer and Mark Brader found a number of exx. on newsgroups for sports
> >>  and politics. The earliest using the full "in the tank for" expression
> >>  is from from Nov 8 1994:
> >>
> >>      It is clear the networks and Newsweek went in the tank
> >>      for Democrats to try to save them
> >>
> >>  And there's this from George H.W. Bush's speech accepting the
> >>  presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention, Aug 20,
> >>  1992:
> >>
> >>      http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/shownomination.php?convid=5
> >>      After all, my opponent's campaign is being backed by practically
> >>      every trial lawyer who ever wore a tasselled loafer. He's not in the
> >>      ring with them; he's in the tank.
> >>
> >>
> >>  --Ben Zimmer
> >>
>