Garrison Finish (1893)

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 10/12/2002 7:58:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
Bapopik at AOL.COM quotes:

>    The term "Garrison finish" was earned in 1886, when he was riding for
>  James R. Keene in the Eastern Handicap at SHeepshead Bay.  Mounted on Dutch
>  Roller, an outsider not considered by the experts, Garrison pushed his
mount
>  through from the ruck in a ding-dong finish which swept the crowd off its
>  feet.  The label, applied at that time, has remained a by-word at the
tracks
>  for that type of close finish.

This may explain something that has been puzzling me since 1967.  In "The
Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" Robert A. Heinlein (in one of the final military
sections of the book) describes spaceships as performing "Garrison didos" (I
seem to recall the actual wording was "tight Garrison didoes").  OED2 gives
"dido" as "caper, prank" and some sort of fast maneuver as the spaceship
neared the end of its approach to the Moon would fit the context.

Problem solved?

             - Jim Landau