"giant steps"/ "may-I"

[Jonathan Lighter]

Never heard it called "Captain, May I?," but I recall that "baby steps" were the opposite of "giant steps."

  JL

Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Beverly Flanigan
Subject: Re: "giant steps"/ "may-I"
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Is this the same game we called "Captain, may I?" Weren't there giant
steps and baby steps and other options I can't recall?

At 10:39 PM 7/7/2006, you wrote:
>Neither of these is in OED, though both name for the children's game were
>current in NYC in the mid '50s. "Giant steps" should be included because
>Neil Armstrong's words from the Moon alluded to it.
>
> 1926 _Elementary School Journal_ (Feb.) XXVI 427: A group of children
> were playing a game of "May-I" in connection with their language work.
>
> 1953 Douglas Wallop _Night Light_ (N.Y.: Norton) 67: I want to play
> Giant Steps. I'm having fun.
>
> JL
>
>
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