"adornment of the hardware" query

[Joe Pickett]

How about being fired or retired, i.e. by hanging his spikes ("the
hardware") around his neck?

Joe Pickett






"Peter A. McGraw" <pmcgraw at LINFIELD.EDU>@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on 12/19/2000
11:41:54 AM

Please respond to American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>

Sent by:  American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>


To:   ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
cc:
Subject:  Re: "adornment of the hardware" query


Could it simply be the writer's clumsy metaphor for the proverbial gold
watch bestowed at retirement?

--On Mon, Dec 18, 2000 4:43 PM -0600 Gerald Cohen <gcohen at UMR.EDU> wrote:

>
>   Would anyone have any idea what "adornment of he hardware" means in the
>   passage below?  It's in a baseball column of the _San Francisco
>   Bulletin_, April 8, 1913, p.14, col. 1. The general context is one in
>   which the manager is debating which of his players to release in order
>   to bring the roster down to its required size.  But it is not at all
>   clear how "adornment of the hardware" fits into this context.  Any
>   suggestions/leads/etc. would be much appreciated.
>
>
> ---Gerald Cohen
>
>  "[Manager] Del is known to be at a loss as to what to do with Joe
>  Wagner.  Joe was at first threatened with an adornment of the hardware,
>  but then it became known that he was suffering from a growth on his leg
>  which necessitated removal and which was undoubtedly responsible for his
>  slowness at second.  Since his recovery he has been stinging the ball on
>  the nose, and there is a possibility that he will prove a man of
>  sterling worth to the club. He at least merits a trial."



****************************************************************************

                               Peter A. McGraw
                   Linfield College   *   McMinnville, OR
                            pmcgraw at linfield.edu