"Q: "show me out [something]" = show to me?

[Baker, John]

        Doesn't it seem more likely that the speaker is asking to be
escorted out the back way (the postern)?


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Joel S. Berson
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 10:55 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: "Q: "show me out [something]" = show to me?

In an 1845 play, I find "Oh save me! Caleb, shew me out the postern ...
Bar the gates; No doubt they come to forage. Where's the postern?"

I take this to mean "show [to] me the postern; show me where the postern
is."

OED2 has only, under "VI. intr. To be seen, be visible, appear,"
sense 34, "show out.  a. ? To become visible, emerge from obscurity or
concealment; fig. to exhibit one's true character," 1839 through 1888.

Does my reading seem correct, and a transitive use might be added to the
OED?

Joel

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