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

[Jonathan Lighter]

Presumably the collocation long preceded the command.

One could easily sling a bow and a quiver, for example.

JL


On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 8:28 AM, Amy West <medievalist at w-sts.com> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Amy West <medievalist at W-STS.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "sling arms" (not in OED2) -- [1749], 1824
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> On 4/17/14, 12:00 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote:
> > Date:    Wed, 16 Apr 2014 16:27:24 -0400
> > From:    "Joel S. Berson"<Berson at ATT.NET>
> > Subject: Re: "sling arms" (not in OED2) -- [1749], 1824
> >
> > 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
> It makes sense as a command for long firearms as they have slings on
> them. Not so much for spear & sword, and I haven't heard a command like
> that in 1630s pike drill.
>
> ---Amy West
>
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