North and south for humans and game

[Benjamin Barrett]

My thanks for those responses to this. One thing that I failed to mention about that definition is that it may have influenced or be the origin of the human/game orientation meaning. BB

On Aug 30, 2014, at 5:18 AM, ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> Newspersons have been saying similar things for several years,
>> often in regard to numbers: "The population of Mars is now north
>> of 350, but of Venus, south of 107."
> 
> The OED has that sense with a 1978 citation:
> 
> [Begin excerpt]
> north, adv., adj., and n.
> 
> 2. fig. and colloq. uses.
> c. Higher; esp. in north of (a figure, cost, etc.): higher than, in excess of.
> 
> 1978 Guardian Weekly 28 May 10/1   Money supply growth for the past
> year has ended up quite a long way north of the target band - at 16
> 1/4 per cent.
> 
> 1991 J. Phillips You'll never eat Lunch in this Town Again 162  So
> Spielberg tells me the budget's going north.
> [End excerpt]
> 
> Garson
> 

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