Etymology question: Deadline

[Nonny Mouse]

Background: I'm taking a sermon giving course at my church, and last night presented a one minute sermonette on the topic of deadlines. In the discussion afterward (regarding how I meant to proceed in turning it into a full sermon) one of the participants suggested it might be a good idea to include the story of how the term "deadline" entered the language.

According to him, during the American Civil war, the army (don't remember which one he said) had no proper facilities for holding prisoners, so they would draw a line on the ground around a group of prisoners and tell them that whoever crossed it would be killed.

This struck me as very likely being an example of folk etymology, but it doesn't appear to have been discussed on the main site.

So, has anyone else heard this, and if so what do you know about its veracity?

Nonny

[AnglRdr]

According to OED, sounds like he's right.

[Richard W]

The Oxford Reference Dictionary says:

orig. = the line around a military prison (at Andersonville, Georgia, USA; c. 1864) beyond which a prisoner was liable to be shot down

So, although I'd never heard that before, it seems he is indeed right. Brilliant - a little-known interesting fact that's not only little-known, but both interesting and a fact!

(eta) Chambers agrees, in similar enough language to suggest that it was copied from the same source - although it doesn't mention the specific prison.

[Richard W]

Originally Posted by AnglRdr

According to OED, sounds like he's right.

PS - I only just noticed that your "OED" is the Online Etymology Dictionary. Usually in this context "OED" means Oxford English Dictionary, which is a bit more authoritative. But since the Oxford Reference Dictionary and others also agree, I guess it's OK.

[Nonny Mouse]

Thanks, guys. The truth does vary a bit from this guy's version in that the term originated at a prison, rather than arising from a situation where there was no proper prison, and for that reason alone I'm glad I checked things out.

BTW, you don't know how hard it was to restrain myself from yelling, "Cite please!"

Nonny

[Tootsie Plunkette]

So how (and when) did it leap from meaning "a boundary which if crossed will result in your death" to "a time or date to finish a task"? They don't seem to me to have any logical connection.

[Richard W]

Originally Posted by Nonny Mouse

Thanks, guys. The truth does vary a bit from this guy's version in that the term originated at a prison, rather than arising from a situation where there was no proper prison, and for that reason alone I'm glad I checked things out.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary just says "hist. a line beyond which prisoners were not allowed to go", so it might not have to be at a prison.

I want to ask my reference dictionary for a cite now - I wish I had the full OED which would give the first usage! (eta) And how the usage changed. The word's not in my etymological dictionary.

[Silkenray]

If the time it took to complete your project was past the deadline, your project would be killed and you'd probably get the ax as well. That's my guess, at least.

[Nonny Mouse]

Originally Posted by Tootsie Plunkette

So how (and when) did it leap from meaning "a boundary which if crossed will result in your death" to "a time or date to finish a task"? They don't seem to me to have any logical connection.

If your project (your novel, for example) is not completed by the deadline it may become effectively dead, if it will not be accepted after that date. Miss enough deadlines, and your whole career might go belly-up.

Nonny

ETA: Spanked by a post I read.... I'm really not paying attention today.

[Nick Theodorakis]

Originally Posted by Richard W

The Concise Oxford Dictionary just says "hist. a line beyond which prisoners were not allowed to go", so it might not have to be at a prison.
...

Didn't James Garner draw one of those in Support Your Local Sheriff?

Nick