Q: "frowning point"?

[Joel S. Berson]

At 1/28/2013 09:19 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Sounds to me more like a "frowning" (because formidably elevated) "point"
>of land.

I'm convinced.  I was led off course by the "high ... point" and
coming about, where I took "high" as "close to the wind".  "High and
frowning point" is just one "it", not "two separate points (of the compass)".

Joel


>JL
>
>
>
>On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 8:48 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject:      Q: "frowning point"?
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > In text circa 1830-1840, describing a portion of a sailing voyage
> > when the ship was close to land and the crew concerned about
> > crashing, I read "we were squeezing round the high and frowning
> > point, and in good time wholly weathered it and got into an open sea
> > to leeward ..."
> >
> > I don't find "frowning (point)" in the OED.  What does it mean? I am
> > guessing a "point" (direction) relative to the wind when sailing upwind.
> >
> > Joel
> >
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