false-flag operation

[Jonathan Lighter]

Close, but no cigar. Not even a cigarillo.

JL

On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 1:45 PM, Garson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: false-flag operation
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > OED has no entry for "false-flag" anything. Ā GB has nothing on
> "false-flag
> > operation" before the 1980s. Ā  Not that the idea hadn't been around.
>
> OED does have  "fight, etc., under false colours" and "to show false
> colours" where colours refers to a flag
>
> colour | color, n.1
> 6. b. In phrases, as to come out in one's true colours , to show one's
> colours , etc. To this sense prob. belong the earlier examples of to
> fight, etc., under false colours , which at a later date became
> associated with the next sense.
>
> c1540    Destr. Troy 11496   He set hom a cas, What fortune might
> falle vndur fals colour.
>
>
> false, adj., adv., and n.
> 14. a. Navy and Mil. Counterfeited for the purpose of deception;
> feigned, pretended; as in false attack, false lights, false ports,
> false signal. Also in phrases (often fig.), ā€ to show false colours ,
> to hang out false colours (see colour n.1 Phrases 3b); under false
> colour(s (see colour n.1 Phrases 3a).
>
> c1540    Destr. Troy 11496   He set hom a cas, What fortune might
> falle vndur fals colour.
>
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