"Dead man's float" (and not in OED)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Periodical: Boys' Life
Date: July 1923
Article: Swimming and Diving
Author: James J. O'Rourke
Quote Page: 15

http://books.google.com/books?id=VAu8xVoIXY4C&q=%22man%27s+float%22#v=snippet&


[Begin excerpt]
The dead man's float in the water with eyes on backs of hands is
diving form, too. Try it. Stretch toes and hands away out.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, Jun 1, 2014 at 7:47 PM, David Barnhart <dbarnhart at highlands.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       David Barnhart <dbarnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "Dead man's float" (and not in OED)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I first heard _dead-man's float_ in the late 1940's (probably 1948 or so.
> My recollection is that it was face-down in the water so it didn't matter if
> you breathed or not.  You were supposedly dead.  It's the position
> instructors liked to start out young inexperienced swimmers (such as
> myself).
>
> Regards and Happy June,
>
> David
>
> barnhart at highlands.com
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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