"The Bends"

[Ruth Barton]

I always thought of it in same vein as "don't get all bent out of shape,"
which, to me, means the same as "don't get your knickers in a knot."  Ruth




At 9:33 AM -0400 4/16/02, Benjamin Fortson wrote:
>Correct me if I'm wrong, but I never would have imagined "get bent" has
>anything to do with getting the bends. I always assumed it referred to the
>addressee's penis.
>
>ben
>
>On Mon, 15 Apr 2002, Michael wrote:
>
>> Does anyone have a date and source for the first use of the
>> term "the bends" to refer to the difficulties that divers
>> experience with nitrogen solubility and decompression ?
>>
>> I would like to know not only where the term originated,
>> but also how and when it came to be used outside of the diving
>> community as in the phrase, "get bent".
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Michael
>>

--
Ruth Barton
mrgjb at sover.net
Westminster, VT