[Ads-l] U-turn (1907)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Excellent work. Definition 1 for the noun "U-turn" in the OED combines
the two senses mentioned in this thread.

[Begin OED excerpt]
1. A U-shaped turn made by a vehicle, so as to face in the opposite
direction; (later more generally) a reversal of the direction of
travel of anything. Also: a U-shaped turn in the course of a road,
route, etc.
[End OED excerpt]

The citation for "U turn" located by Pete appeared in the May 1906
issue of "The Rambler Magazine". "U turn" occurs on page 473.
Scrolling backward reveals the cover of the May 1906 issue on page
455. Scrolling forward reveals the cover of the June 1906 cover on
page 488.

Date: May 1906
Periodical: The Rambler Magazine
Article: More Honors for the Rambler
Start Page 473, Quote Page 473, Column 1 and 2
https://books.google.com/books?id=A-EwAQAAMAAJ&q=%22U+turn%22#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
This bend known as the Devil's Elbow, is a full U turn with a grade of
18 per cent. After this the grade lessens somewhat, but soon runs into
an S curve with a varying grade of from 15 to 20 per cent.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Tue, Oct 18, 2022 at 6:15 AM Pete Morris <mr_peter_morris at outlook.com> wrote:
>
> Here's a cite that seems to be from 1905-7, caveats apply.
>
> https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Rambler_Magazine/A-EwAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22u+turn%22&dq=%22u+turn%22&printsec=frontcover
>
> And another from possibly 1912.
>
> https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Motorcycle_Illustrated/3OM_AQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=drive+%22u+turn%22&dq=drive+%22u+turn%22&printsec=frontcover
>
> A note that all these cites refer to a sharp bend in the road, often
> called a
> hairpin bend, rather than the current sense of reversing a vehicle's
> direction
> in the width of a road.
>
> While we're on the subject, what's the earliest cite for "hairpin bend"
> ?
>
>
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From "Ben Zimmer" <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Date 18/10/2022 01:27:27
> Subject U-turn (1907)
>
> >OED3 has "U-turn" from 1915 (entry updated in Mar. 2021).
> >
> >---
> >https://books.google.com/books?id=M4lCAAAAYAAJ
> >Claude Goodman Johnson, _Roads Made Easy by Picture and Pen, Vol. 1_ (1907)
> >p. 136:
> >And the Maidstone Road is easily joined by proceeding on leaving either
> >hotel in the same direction as that of arrival there for a few yards, then
> >making a U turn to the left and bearing right down a narrow leafy lane.
> >p. 143:
> >At the bottom where there is a triangular shrub enclosure take a U turn.
> >---
> >https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111492050/u-turn/
> >Evening Record (Hackensack, NJ), Nov. 13, 1909, p. 1, col. 1
> >There are also three difficult turns, one a double "S" and another a "U"
> >turn, while half way up the grade a walled drain in the center of the
> >course gives drivers an alternative of a sweeping roadway on either side.
> >---
> >https://books.google.com/books?id=qn0WPzp4gv8C&pg=RA18-PA17
> >Harper's Weekly, June 4, 1910, p. 17
> >"The Turn in Racing" by Herbert Lytle
> >In making the U turn the same rule is still applied. The car is turned
> >slightly from its course, then brought about and pointed directly for the
> >corner of the turn (Fig. 6), continuing in this way until the car assumes
> >its new course.
> >Fig. 6 - The correct method of making a U turn.
> >---
> >
> >Previously known as a "U-shaped turn" (at least in the "hairpin turn"
> >road-racing sense):
> >
> >---
> >https://www.newspapers.com/clip/111483119/u-shaped-turn/
> >New York Times, Nov. 27, 1903, p. 1, col. 3
> >The road is almost straight until about a quarter of a mile from the start,
> >where there is a short double curve followed at the extreme top by a
> >U-shaped turn which proves very trying to all ascending vehicles.
> >---
> >
> >--bgz
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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