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

[sclements at NEO.RR.COM]

1910 in Geneaogy Bank,

Sam Clements

---- sclements at NEO.RR.COM wrote:
> 1918 in N'Archive.
>
>
> ---- ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> > 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
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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