Q: "frowning point"?

[Jonathan Lighter]

Earlier in the day, I'd have written "forbiddingly."

JL

On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 9:58 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Q: "frowning point"?
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> 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:
> >
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> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> > > Subject:      Q: "frowning point"?
> > >
> > >
> >
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> > >
> > > 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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