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

[Jonathan Lighter]

Even if you haven't seen "1917," this ex. should make it clear that the
so-called "ambush" is actually a conventional attack across no-man's-land
against German trenches. At any rate, that is what the cite refers  to:

http://www.qnetwork.com/review/4213
"[T]he 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment... is planning an ambush on
what they think are desperately retreating German forces the next morning."

P.S. I now see my last reply to this thread went to Dave instead of to
everyone:

The 1914 passage reads,

"...as the Zeppelins, from their aerial ambush over Antwerp, drop bombs on
the nurses who are caring for Germany's wounded soldiers."

The sticking point for me is dropping bombs *from* ambush.

JL

On Sun, Nov 10, 2019 at 8:00 PM Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> The 1914 passage reads,
>
> "...as the Zeppelins, from their aerial ambush over Antwerp, drop bombs on
> the nurses who are caring for Germany's wounded soldiers."
>
> The sticking point for me is dropping bombs *from* ambush.
> JL
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 10, 2019 at 8:23 AM Dave Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:
>
>> 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....
>> >
>> > ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>> >
>> > ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>> >
>>
>>
>> --
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>> truth."
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>


-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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