"the X arm of the law" (1792)

[Joel S. Berson]

OED2 does not have "arm of the law" as a phrase;
the earliest quotation text containing it is 1871.

[All from Early American Newspapers]

"the X arm of the law"

I did not find X = long; and the earliest "the
arm of the law" is later than the first of my two citations below.

X = cold, vindictive:

An execution in a republic is like a human
sacrifice in religion. it is an offering to
monarchy, and to that malignant being, who has
been stiled a murderer from the beginning, and
who delights equally in murder, whether it be
purpetrated by the cold, but vindictive arm of
the law, or by the angry hand of private revenge.

State Gazette of South-Carolina, 4 Oct. 1792, page 2, col. 3.

X = strong:

I trust we will shew that the strong arm of the
law is able to crush any factions or designing
set of people, whose wish is to overturn the constitution.

Salem Gazette, 14 May 1793, page 2, col. 2 [Ïrish
House of Lords. Friday, March 1.]

Joel

At 10/3/2007 09:12 AM, Stephen Goranson wrote:
>Milwaukie Sentinel, (Milwaukee, WI) Saturday, July 13, 1844; Issue 43; Page
>1,col D
>     Multiple News Items
>Category: News
>[col E top]
>....A Mr. Neville, of Western New York, has married a Miss Amanda Drop, while
>having another wife. The long arm of the law dropped down on him, and walked
>him off to prison for bigamy.
>
>Stephen Goranson
>http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org