[Ads-l] spades (distance)

[Barretts Mail]

Good point. The second citation clearly refers to digging. BB

> On 4 Sep 2018, at 23:23, Dave Hause <dwhause at CABLEMO.NET> wrote:
> 
> Since the first site is talking about ragworms as a live prey/food source for axolotls (amphibians), "a couple of spades away" implies to me that they are plentiful and easy to dig up.
> Dave Hause
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Barretts Mail
> Sent: Wednesday, September 5, 2018 12:58 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: spades (distance)
> 
> Based on some of the sources, this might be Irish English usage. It seems to mean “steps” or “a short distance”.
> 
> https://www.caudata.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-51810.html <https://www.caudata.org/forum/archive/index.php/t-51810.html>
> timg
> 11 Dec 2007
> ——
> I live two minutes from the irish sea, where there is a plentiful supply of ragworms, just a couple of spades away, and...
> ——
> 
> https://dokumen.tips/documents/st-ives-local-janfeb-2016-edition.html <https://dokumen.tips/documents/st-ives-local-janfeb-2016-edition.html>
> St. Ives Local
> Jan/Feb 2016
> ——
> Once you have established your soil type, success is only a few spades away.
> ——
> 
> http://apocalypsewriters.com/blog/2014/07/24/i-see-a-red-door/ <http://apocalypsewriters.com/blog/2014/07/24/i-see-a-red-door/>
> K. J. Joyner
> 
> ——
> Going to the 50’s not only steered me away from the five panel look of our door, it stepped spades away from the way the door was constructed.
> ——
> 
> Benjamin Barrett
> Formerly of Seattle, WA
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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