The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #136860 Message #3128283
Posted By: MGM·Lion
04-Apr-11 - 11:12 AM
Thread Name: Folklore: Childhood words for truanting?
Subject: RE: Folklore: Childhood words for truanting?
"Lam" for beat is certainly old English; pretty well standard rather than slang, I should judge - not shown as 'slang' in Chambers. Whether connected to the "taking on the lam" for flight I doubt.
Partridge gives: "on the lam", on the run (from justice), in Britain adopted about 1944 from US servicemen. Where was your 'quick check', which seems to conclude differently, conducted, Martin?
I seem to recall Runyon using derivative "laminger" for a man on the lam: so, Martin, would a truant have been called that in Ireland in the 50s?
~Michael~