on the gang
Wilson Gray
hwgray at GMAIL.COM
Sun Apr 22 08:48:20 UTC 2012
In the good old days, referring to sentencing to hard labor - repair
of roads, railroad rights of way, bridges, canals. mining, harvesting,
and general maintenance of infrastructure - as being put, etc. "on the
gang" was as commonplace as the sentencing to hard labor itself. The
"chain-gang" is the most (in)famous such, since there were many kinds
of work that could be done by men chained together. All you needed was
a sufficient length of chain.
IAC, IME, FWIW, referring to being part of a work-gang simply as "on
the gang" is no odder than referring to having an erection as being
"on the bone."
--
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint
to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain
On Sun, Apr 22, 2012 at 3:47 AM, Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: Â Â Â American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster: Â Â Â Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject: Â Â Â on the gang
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> <html>
> Â <head>
>
> Â Â <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
> Â </head>
> Â <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
> Â Â OED has one entry concerning "gang" as a reference to prisoners.<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â gang n.1 II.<br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite">9. b. A company of slaves or prisoners.<br>
> Â Â Â <br>
> Â Â Â <div class="quotationsBlock" id="eid3196652">
> Â Â Â Â <div class="quotation" id="eid3196653"><span class="noIndent"
> Â Â Â Â Â Â id="eid159616690">1790 <span class="smallCaps">E. Burke</span>
> Â Â Â Â Â Â <em><span class="sourcePopup">Refl. Revol. in France</span></em>
> Â Â Â Â Â Â 52</span> A gang of Maroon slaves, suddenly broke loose
> Â Â Â Â Â from the house of bondage.</div>
> Â Â Â Â <div class="quotation" id="eid3196665"><span class="noIndent"
> Â Â Â Â Â Â id="eid159616696">1832 <span class="smallCaps">H.
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Martineau</span> <em><span class="sourcePopup">Demerara</span></em>
> Â Â Â Â Â Â i. 7</span> The second gang consisted of young boys and
> Â Â Â Â Â girls.</div>
> Â Â Â Â <div class="quotation" id="eid3196673"><span class="noIndent"
> Â Â Â Â Â Â id="eid159616702">1883 <span class="smallCaps">'Ouida'</span>
> Â Â Â Â Â Â <em><span class="sourcePopup">Wanda</span></em> I. 13</span>
>
> Â Â Â Â Â Now and then a gang of such captives would go by on foot and
> Â Â Â Â Â chained.</div>
> Â Â Â </div>
> Â Â </blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â However, this is the most general sense that simply means "group",
> Â Â even if, in this case, it happens to be a group of prisoners.<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â On the other hand, consider the following example from new meat (n.,
> Â Â under new adj. and n.):<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite"> <span class="lemma" id="eid34708500">new
> Â Â Â Â meat</span> <span class="ps">n.</span> <em>U.S.</em> <em>slang</em>
> Â Â Â <span id="eid34708506"><em>(a) </em>newly arrived inmates,
> Â Â Â Â students, etc.;</span> <span id="eid34708507"><em>(b) </em><em>Mil.</em>
> Â Â Â Â replacement troops; (also as a count noun) a new replacement.<br>
> Â Â Â Â <br>
> Â Â Â </span>
> Â Â Â <div class="frame">
> Â Â Â Â <div class="quotationsBlock" id="eid34708509">
> Â Â Â Â Â <div class="quotation" id="eid34708510"><span class="noIndent"
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â id="eid227673455">1938 <span class="smallCaps">‘Jelly
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Roll Morton’</span> in A. Lomax <em><span
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â class="sourcePopup">Mister Jelly Roll</span></em>
> Â Â Â Â Â Â Â (1950) 109</span> When the inmates on the gang saw us,
> Â Â Â Â Â Â they hollered ‘New meat in the market!’ Then they jumped on
> Â Â Â Â Â Â us and took our money and cigarettes.</div>
> Â Â Â Â </div>
> Â Â Â </div>
> Â Â </blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â Normally, in discourse about, for example, members of a street gang,
> Â Â the expression would have been "in the gang". Here, however, it is
> Â Â "on the gang". Is it just a different form of expression? Or is this
> Â Â an example of idiomatic use for prisoners in general?<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â I believe, it is the latter and it goes back quite some time
> Â Â (perhaps HDAS will back me up). Consider the following from AHN:<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â The Macon Telegraph. February 5, 1902<br>
> Â Â Wife Wants Husband Pardoned from Gang. p. 2/3<br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite">A petition is being circulated by Mrs.
> Â Â Â Pullen asking that her husband A. A. Pullen, be pardoned by the
> Â Â Â governor, or rather that his sentence be commuted after six months
> Â Â Â of service on the gang.</blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â The expression seems to be more general than just describing inmates
> Â Â on a chain-gang, although it is undoubtedly related to the
> Â Â condition.<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â Columbus [Ga.] Ledger. December 10, 1922<br>
> Â Â Number Pleas in Superior Court. Young West Virginian, Former Solder,
> Â Â Given Twelve Months for Taking a U-Drive-It Car. p. 5/3<br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite">J. W. Willis, a negro, was given six month
> Â Â Â on the gang for stabbing a negro woman, three months to serve and
> Â Â Â three months discharged on payment of $50.<br>
> Â Â Â John T. Roberts was permitted to pay a fine of $25 for speeding;
> Â Â Â E. J. Thomas was permitted to pay a fine of $25 for haing a small
> Â Â Â of liquor and Michael O'Neal, for having liquor, was ordered to
> Â Â Â serve on the gang until Christmas eve or pay a fine of $25.<br>
> Â Â Â Pleas were heard and penalties imposed late Friday afternoon in
> Â Â Â the following cases:<br>
> Â Â Â H. M. Davis, drunk on public highway, $25; Johnnie Mingo, drunk,
> Â Â Â one month or $25; L. E. Brown, having liquor, 20 days in jail,
> Â Â Â suspended. Will Jackson alias John Greer, larceny after trust,
> Â Â Â three months on the chaingang; Henry Byrd, having liquor, one
> Â Â Â month or $40 sespended until February 1 and E. S. Pinchard,
> Â Â Â speeding, $25.<br>
> Â Â </blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â Note that both "on the gang" and "on the chaingang" are mentioned as
> Â Â sentences.<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â Charlotte Daily Observer. December 13, 1903<br>
> Â Â Before the Recorder. Two Colored Hoboes Get 60 Days Each on the Gang
> Â Â -- Will Agers Bound Over for Larceny. p. 8/2
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite">In the city police court yesterday morning,
> Â Â Â Robert Williams and Joe McDaniels, the two negro hoboes from
> Â Â Â Columbus, Ga., and Columbia, S.C., who had been arrested the
> Â Â Â previous night in the stables at the Mecklenburg fair grounds,
> Â Â Â faced two charges--vagrancy and trespass. There was no difficulty
> Â Â Â in proving both of the charges, and Recorder Shannonhouse
> Â Â Â sentenced each of the defendants to a term of 30 days on the gang
> Â Â Â in either case, making a total of 60 days for each of the colored
> Â Â Â sons of rest.<br>
> Â Â Â Will Agers, the negro who had been arrested for stealing whiskey
> Â Â Â bottles from Mr. D. M. Abernethy's saloon, on East Trade street,
> Â Â Â was found guilty and was bound over to the next criminal term of
> Â Â Â the Superior Court, being sent to jail, in default of a bond of
> Â Â Â $25.</blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â What was that that we were debating earlier about hobos??<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â The State [SC]. December 4, 1900<br>
> Â Â Pardoned to Die. p. 4/6<br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite">Governor McSweeney has granted a full pardon
> Â Â Â to Lorsey Hill, who was convicted in Edgefield county of larceny
> Â Â Â and sentenced to two years on the chain gang. The pardon was
> Â Â Â recommended by the solicitor and the county officials, who certify
> Â Â Â that the prisoner is in a dying condition. He has already served
> Â Â Â eight months on the gang. The pardon is granted simply that the
> Â Â Â prisoner may die "out of prison."</blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â The Columbus [Ga.] Enquirer-Sun. February 24, 1889<br>
> Â Â The Mayor's Court. p. 3/3<br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite">John Odom and Bob Herring were up on a drunk
> Â Â Â and disorderly charge. Odom was fined $2.50 and costs or ten days
> Â Â Â on the gang. The charge against Herring was dismissed.</blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â Little Rock Daily Republican. March 18, 1873<br>
> Â Â Criminal Items. The "City of Roses" Assuming Metropolitan Airs -- A
> Â Â Lively Day with the "Vags" and Petit Thieves. p. 4/6<br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite"> Yesterday morning seventeen motley-colored
> Â Â Â vagrants of all nationalities, ages and sizes were arraigned
> Â Â Â before "the terror," Judge Triplett, and that accommodating
> Â Â Â official, with that suavity of manner for which he is noted,
> Â Â Â assigned each the usual twenty-five dollars or thirty days on the
> Â Â Â gang. They went to the gang.</blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â There is no other meaning in the OED--nothing that corresponds to a
> Â Â sentence (of labor on a chain gang). And there is no expression "on
> Â Â the gang". Of all on-line dictionaries, only the upload of Webster's
> Â Â 1913 edition has "chain-gang" as one of the meanings for "gang".<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â Also note that all references above are from the South. The
> Â Â following is an exception.<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â [San Francisco] [Daily] Evening Bulletin. May 17, 1869<br>
> Â Â A Gang of Desperadoes Arrested. p. 3/6<br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite">Emmons has the reputation of being a very
> Â Â Â bad man, having been arrested many times in Placer and El Dorado
> Â Â Â counties, but always escaping conviction because Chinamen were not
> Â Â Â allowed to testify. He kept a house for a long time on the "Hill,"
> Â Â Â at Folsom, which was frequented by the very worst class of men.<br>
> Â Â Â It is to be hoped that the officers have the "dead wood" on the
> Â Â Â gang this time, and that they will not escape for the want of
> Â Â Â white evidence. Emmons will be returned here, if he does, to
> Â Â Â answer to the charge of carrying concealed weapons. </blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â The following one sounds a bit different. There is no reference to
> Â Â incarceration, but there is a mention of "on the gang system".<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â The Daily Picayune. September 2, 1873<br>
> Â Â "Sugar Planter"--"M" and "D". p. 2/5<br>
> Â Â <blockquote type="cite">
> Â Â Â What does he mean by bringing immigrants to the State to supply
> Â Â Â the place of the present farm laborers ? Does he mean to bring
> Â Â Â white men to work by the months on plantations, in place of
> Â Â Â negroes ? This must be the meaning. That proposition is entirely
> Â Â Â untenable. White people will not work by the month on the gang
> Â Â Â system on sugar plantations.</blockquote>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â Perhaps "the gang system" is simply a version of "shifts" (RHUD:
> Â Â gang, n. 4. a group of persons working together; squad; shift: <i>a
> Â Â Â gang of laborers.</i>)<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â Â VS-)<br>
> Â Â <br>
> Â </body>
> </html>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
More information about the Ads-l
mailing list