"sling arms" (not in OED2) -- [1749], 1824

[Joel S. Berson]

Dan,

I think this is the best interpretation yet.  I don't find "sl?ng*
arm*" in the OED or "sling arms" before 1824 ("Constitution of the
New England Guards", p. 54, a command) in GBooks.  But John Gittins's
"A compleat System of Military Discipline" (1735), p. 14, does have a
command "Sling your Firelock" (certainly an Arm) -- hang the firelock
and "let fall your Hands to your Sides".

Joel

At 4/16/2014 01:45 PM, Dan Goncharoff wrote:

>I note that "to sling arms" was a military command to hang your weapons at
>your side, rather than hold them at the ready. Since the poem is about the
>Goddess of War not being ready to fight, I am happy that the Arms in
>question are her sword and spear.
>
>DanG
>
>
>On Wed, Apr 16, 2014 at 12:47 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:      Re: Possible "slung" = "hanging loosely"?  1749; not in OED2
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > At 4/16/2014 12:13 PM, Dan Goncharoff wrote:
> >
> > >Isn't a definition of "sling" to hang loosely? Perhaps her arms were
> > >hanging loosely, as if by her side.
> >
> > I think that's a possible interpretation.  Although not exactly in
> > the OED?  The closests I find in the OED Online have to do with the
> > action of suspending something, rather than letting something
> > hang.  But perhaps I've missed something.
> >
> > slung, adj.2.  "Placed in, hung or suspended by, a sling or slings."
> > sling, v.2, 3.  "To hang or suspend, to fix or fasten (something)
> > about the person in a sling or in a loose manner so as to be carried
> > easily."
> > sling, v.2, 4.a: "To hang up or suspend, esp. from one point to
> > another; to put up (a hammock)."
> >
> > The alternative, "she threw away her weapons ("Arms"), seems possible
> > also.  (I would rule out "flung", since the ligature still looks to
> > me like "sl" rather than "fl".)
> >
> > Joel
> >
> >
> > >DanG
> > >
> > >
> > >On Wed, Apr 16, 2014 at 10:18 AM, 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:      Re: slang or flang in 1749?
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > Not an OCR error -- EAN has page images.  Nor "slung down her
> > > > Trumpet"; it's her Arms that were "slang".
> > > >
> > > > However, my error.  I did not notice the possible rhyme with the next
> > > > line's "carelessly hung".  And now the letter I thought was an "a"
> > > > looks like a "u".
> > > >
> > > > So -- the "Arms" probably refer not to what's missing in the Venus de
> > > > Milo, but to weapons, which Bellona has temporarily "slung" down at
> > > > the end of the War of the Austrian Succession.
> > > >
> > > > Joel
> > > >
> > > > At 4/16/2014 09:49 AM, Randy Alexander wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >OCR error or typo (or odd variant) for "slung" down her trumpet, it
> > looks
> > > > >like to me.
> > > > >On Apr 16, 2014 9:43 AM, "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:      slang or flang in 1749?
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Can someone tell me what the "slang" or "flang" in the following
> > is?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On the Report of a British Fleet being to be sent to the Baltick.
> > > > > > When War subsided in the South,
> > > > > > Bellona seem'd to close her Mouth,
> > > > > > Her Cheeks were smooth, her Arms were slang, [correct to "slung"]
> > > > > > and down her Trumpet careless hung;
> > > > > > She look'd so tranquil on the Nations,
> > > > > > They all appear'd like near Relations.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ["slang" appears to begin with the ligature "sl" (no crossing bar
> > on
> > > > > > the long s), but it might instead be a typesetter's error for
> > "fl".]
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Boston News-Letter, 1749 June 8, page 1, col. 2.  Headline: "From
> > the
> > > > > > London Magazine for the Month of March 1749".  EAN.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Joel
> > > > > >
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