[Ads-l] ambush 'a surprise military attack'

[Dave Wilton]

I disagree with the characterization of the 1914 usage, which is about aircraft (zeppelins) dropping bombs on a fixed target (a hospital) on the ground. That's more akin to the Pearl-Harbor-was-an-ambush idea.

The 1941 usage, on the other hand, is about German planes lying in wait, concealed by clouds, ready to swoop down upon passing British aircraft. That's a classic ambush.

If the attacker moves to the target, it's not a classic ambush. If the target moves toward the attackers who are lying in wait, then it is.

-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2019 6:54 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] ambush 'a surprise military attack'

Seems to me that the 1941 means the usual ordinary "attack from hiding:
(here above the clouds)  and the 1914 means the usual "concealed position from which to launch an attack"( here presumably above the clouds).

Of course, "from hiding" is a hyponym of "by surprise": hence the extension.

In contemporary minds.

JL


On Sun, Nov 10, 2019 at 1:12 AM Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com> wrote:

> "Aerial ambush" 1914. German Zeppelins over Antwerp.
>
> https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38746220/the_brooklyn_daily_eagle/
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of 
> Dave Hause <dwhause at CABLEMO.NET>
> Sent: Saturday, November 9, 2019 9:56:32 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: ambush 'a surprise military attack'
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Dave Hause <dwhause at CABLEMO.NET>
> Subject:      Re: ambush 'a surprise military attack'
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------
>
> Yes!  I can just picture it:  the Japanese fleet cunningly hides 
> behind some bushes while the island of Oahu stumbles into the ambush 
> kill zone.
> Dave Hause
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jonathan Lighter
> Sent: Saturday, November 9, 2019 2:58 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: ambush 'a surprise military attack'
>
> 2019 http://cinemalogue.com/2019/11/08/midway/  :
> The film starts with the ambush at Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
>
> I posted an ex. of the corresponding verb in 2016.  I seem to recall 
> some skepticism....
>
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