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From: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Proving (the rule)
Message-ID: <1783@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 24-Feb-85 14:51:31 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1783
Posted: Sun Feb 24 14:51:31 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 10:34:23 EST
References: <> <258@unm-cvax.UUCP> <486@ptsfa.UUCP>
Reply-To: barryg@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Lee Gold)
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 16
Summary: 

The older meaning of prove (to test) survived in the phrase Proving
Grounds, where airplanes are tested.

Similarly the old meaning of "let" (meaning to stop, rather than to permit)
survived in the phrase "let ball" in tennis, a ball that hits the net and
bounces onto the other side of the court rather than flying freely over
the net.

Sometimes these old phrases get reinterpreted or even altered as words
change meaning.  For instance there's the phrase "stark naked" which was
originally "start naked."  "Start" is an obsolete term for "tail" or
"buttocks" (for instance, there's a bird called the "redstart" which has
a red tail).  So "start naked" meant "bare assed," but when "start dropped
out of usage, the phr ase got changed to "stark naked."

--Lee Gold