Fwd: Tribune inquiry: in harm's way

[Jonathan Lighter]

I believe Bassett titled his Navy novel after a statement from John Paul Jones (ca.1778), "I intend to go in harm's way."

JL

"Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Baker, John"
Subject: Re: Fwd: Tribune inquiry: in harm's way
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I checked Westlaw, and while "out of harm's way" is more common in the older cases, there are also several "in harm's way" examples. Here's the oldest "in harm's way" I saw, an 1851 case from the California Supreme Court:

"It is not to be understood that all vessels moored should set a watch or exhibit lights, but such only as are moored or anchored in "harm's way," that is, in or near the usual track of daily steamers, or the usual entrance to any part of the harbor." Innis v. Steamer Senator, 1 Cal. 459, 461 (1851).

John Baker


---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Address AutoComplete - You start. We finish.