The playground "slide"

[Arnold Zwicky]

On May 3, 2012, at 5:33 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote, in response to Larry Horn's report of "sliding pond" in NYC and expressions of astonishment at the expression by Wilson Gray and Eric Nielsen:

> Kids in Central Park called it a "sliding pond" in 1953. It seemed weird
> and indefensible - and I mean weird in the gothic sense.
>
> Under the conservative influence of my 19th C. grandparents, I'd always
> called it a "slide."  Always. Even today, "sliding pond" give me the creeps.

check out DARE, which has "sliding pond" for 'a slippery surface, esp. an icy patch on a street or sidewalk adopted by children for sliding on' as chiefly NYC, nNJ from 1826 (many cites), specialized to 'a playground slide' from 1943 on.  both senses have the variant "sliding pon" (indicating that the etymological "pond" in the expression had become obscure for many speakers), folk-etymologized to "slide upon" for some speakers.

so, a colorful regionalism, just the sort of thing that DARE celebrates.  i don't understand why it evokes such hostility.

arnold

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