Line in the sand
Meaning to set limits, thus far and no further, etc.I put the phrase in to the online OED but had no joy. How far back does it go; does it pre-date the Desert Storm campaign?
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Either you missed it, or they've given you access to a version without the draft additions (this one added to the entry for line n.2 in 2003):--- fig. (to draw) a line in the sand: (to establish) a...
View ArticleRe: Line in the sand
Thanks, doc.Typing the phrase into the OED searchbox returns 'no exact matches'. The searchbox that I'm using, however, is the one provided for the promotion, and although they say it's unrestricted...
View ArticleRe: Line in the sand
And there is the famous (and apocryphal) incident at the Alamo in 1836 where Colonel Travis drew a line in the sand with his sword and asked all those who were willing to fight to the death to step...
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That 1978 cite in the draft entry for "line in the sand" is the earliest OED has for the non-literal sense of an outer limit or boundary; see Jesse Sheidlower's posting at ADS-L:Subject: "line in the...
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Dr. T is comprehensive as usual. I, like ozzie, was surprised at how late the figurative phrase turns up. I did a quick search on legal databases -- this is just the type of metaphorical usage that...
View ArticleRe: Line in the sand
What is surprising to me about the phrase is how the transient nature of a line in the sand is used to express the will of an individual to hold to a position. It expresses both the arbitrary nature...
View ArticleRe: Line in the sand
What is surprising to me about the phrase is how the transient nature of a line in the sand is used to express the will of an individual to hold to a position. It expresses both the arbitrary nature...
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dma let me be the first to say a round of applause is not enough, take this laurel, and hearty handshake!! Very good ferreting - we were just vamping til ready while you were away...
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Thank you, ht, but I (hate to say this) applause is not merited. Dr T already found several references, at MOA and elsewhere. Mine describes a literal, rather than a metaphorical line in the sand. I...
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Oh righty I got the wrong end of the stick. I don't know if this makes up for it but I found another literal sense in a gutenberg text of William H Prescott American Historian (1796-1859) 'History of...
View ArticleRe: Line in the sand
As I said, I found quite a few 19th century examples, including those recently quoted, but no early examples of the metaphorical use. I chose the one I quoted because it was using "drawing a line in...
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