"Dead man's float" (and not in OED)

sclements at NEO.RR.COM sclements at NEO.RR.COM
Mon Jun 2 01:16:33 UTC 2014


That should be "Genealogy Bank."


---- sclements at neo.rr.com wrote:
> 1910 in Geneaogy Bank,
>
> Sam Clements
>
> ---- sclements at NEO.RR.COM wrote:
> > 1918 in N'Archive.
> >
> >
> > ---- ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > > Periodical: Boys' Life
> > > Date: July 1923
> > > Article: Swimming and Diving
> > > Author: James J. O'Rourke
> > > Quote Page: 15
> > >
> > > http://books.google.com/books?id=VAu8xVoIXY4C&q=%22man%27s+float%22#v=snippet&
> > >
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > The dead man's float in the water with eyes on backs of hands is
> > > diving form, too. Try it. Stretch toes and hands away out.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > Garson
> > >
> > > On Sun, Jun 1, 2014 at 7:47 PM, David Barnhart <dbarnhart at highlands.com> wrote:
> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster:       David Barnhart <dbarnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
> > > > Subject:      Re: "Dead man's float" (and not in OED)
> > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > I first heard _dead-man's float_ in the late 1940's (probably 1948 or so.
> > > > My recollection is that it was face-down in the water so it didn't matter if
> > > > you breathed or not.  You were supposedly dead.  It's the position
> > > > instructors liked to start out young inexperienced swimmers (such as
> > > > myself).
> > > >
> > > > Regards and Happy June,
> > > >
> > > > David
> > > >
> > > > barnhart at highlands.com
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list