reach for the sky

[Garson O'Toole]

 Jonathan Lighter wrote
> Beats me, but OED combines "reach for the sky" with the
> synonymous-in-every-sense "reach for the stars," which, despite what the
> entry might lead one to think, is not used nearly so often by fictional
> Western gun-toters.

Bill Mullins asked
> Why the 1910 dating if the book was published in 1911?

Good question. OED first cite is 1910 for "reach for the (sky, roof,
stars)" in the gunslinger sense. Here is a slight improvement based on
the "stars" variant.

OED (2008) reach, v. 2. g. orig. U.S. To raise the hands above the
head, when held at gunpoint.

Cite: 1909 October, Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, Melissy by William
MacLeod Raine, Page 401, J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia.
(Google Books full view; Google uses the designation McBride's
Magazine but the page images say Lippincott's Monthly Magazine)

Alan lowered his hands and did as directed.
"Now reach for the stars again."
McKinstra's arms went skyward. Without his weapon, he was helpless to
do otherwise.

http://books.google.com/books?id=xM_UAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Now+reach%22#v=snippet&


On the topic of "reach for the sky" with an inspirational sense: Here
is an 1853 example with an inverted sense. The phrase "attempt to
reach unto the sky" was used metaphorically to designate an action
that was certain to fail.

Cite: 1853: The National Orange and Protestant Minstrel, Page 93,
Bradford: Squire Auty.

So brothers all unite - love God with heart and hope,
And then our cause will prosper, and we need not fear the pope;
For he might then as well attempt to reach unto the sky,
As move us with his tyranny, so him we all defy.

http://books.google.com/books?id=955bAAAAQAAJ&q=%22reach+unto%22#v=snippet&

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