real English?

[David Powelstock]

Very interesting -- and it suggest a rather gruesome image to go with "an
arm's throw." I rather like the expression, "I wouldn't trust her/im as far
I can throw her/im." 


David Powelstock 
Asst. Prof. of Russian & East European Literatures 
Undergraduate Advising Head, Russian Language and Literature 
Chair, Program in Russian & East European Studies 
Brandeis University 
GREA, MS 024 
Waltham, MA  02454-9110 
781.736.3347 (Office) 


-----Original Message-----
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list
[mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Kjetil Rå Hauge
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 11:25 AM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] real English?

David Powelstock wrote:
>  I've never heard it, either, but a google search turns up 188 hits, 
> so someone's using it. It would be interesting to know what its 
> regional or other distribution is.

Apparently, this piece of phraseology previously allowed you to throw almost
anything you might have at hand. The OED defines "throw" as "6. 
The distance to which anything may or is to be thrown: often qualified, as a
stone's throw" giving among the examples:

"The enimyes were come, within the throwe of a Dart" (1582) "The two
Cavaliers had now approach'd within a Throw of a Lance" (1704, Swift;
explains the 'arm's throw') "The vessel steamed within a biscuit-throw of
the southern cliffs." (1893)


-- 
---
Kjetil Rå Hauge, U. of Oslo, PO Box 1003 Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway
Tel. +47/22856710, fax +47/22854140

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