What did/does the expression "oat of eight" mean ? Cite sources. |
Request for Question Clarification by
pafalafa-ga
on
17 Aug 2006 05:06 PDT
hose7-ga,
None of the Civil Era sources I searched make use of this phrase,
although modern search engines sometimes confused it with "out of
sight" or "out of eight".
Can you tell us more about the context? Where did you come across
this phrase? Are you certain of the wording? What does it seem to
mean from the way it is used?
Any additional information would be helpful.
Thanks,
pafalafa-ga
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Clarification of Question by
hose7-ga
on
17 Aug 2006 07:31 PDT
In an unpublished diary, a Union Lieutenant writes that Companies A &
K of the 51st IL Inf Vol were lying in the shade at noon, while other
companies were skirmishing. They were ordered to retreat. He writes
"Soon as we got down a little oat of eight, we were ordered on the
double quick & soon came directly under under the enemies fire."
It sounds like a reference to a hasty lunch.
I think I've transcribed it correctly, because Google answers produced
one use of the expression in a modern statement about computer bits
and bytes.
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Clarification of Question by
hose7-ga
on
17 Aug 2006 07:35 PDT
OOPS ! I said Google Answers, but I meant Google Advanced Search.
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Clarification of Question by
hose7-ga
on
17 Aug 2006 07:42 PDT
I re-read the Google reference, and you're right -- it is obviously a
misprint for "out of eight".
But " out of eight " makes no sense either in the diary. And the
handwriting is VERY clear.
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Clarification of Question by
hose7-ga
on
17 Aug 2006 07:51 PDT
Well, I'm wrong again -- his "s" in the word that I read as "eight" is
closed, or almost closed, looking like an "e" -- when the word is
"sight" and not "eight". His sentence actually reads " Soon as we got
down a little out of sight, we were ordered on the double quick & soon
came directly under enemies fire."
I am declaring my question answered, in view of your effort, but no
bonus. Arrange this page so I can rate the anwere etc.
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