[rollei_list] Re: OT: meaning of term

Looks like you need to inform the Merriam-Webster people, who provided
the definition and derivation...


Eric Goldstein

--

On 9/28/07, slobodan dimitrov <s.dimitrov@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I see.
> I wonder if the hyphen was dropped typographically by printers who
> didn't know the term?
>
> s.
>
> On Sep 27, 2007, at 7:50 PM, Marc James Small wrote:
>
> > At 10:45 AM 9/26/2007, Allen Zak wrote:
> > >That means he takes measure to protect the right flank of his battle
> > >unit against attack by an enemy.  An army in the field has sides,
> > known
> > >as flanks, as well as a front.  Those sides are often vulnerable to a
> > >flank attack because most of the weapons and deployment for combat
> > >takes place at the front.
> >
> > Allen is correct.  "Refuse" was a common tactical and operational
> > term in the days of the US Civil War but has since fallen out of
> > common military use.  It is "re-fuse" (as in, "fuse again") and not
> > "refuse" (as in to decline to do something).  Imagine this:  a
> > battle develops and both sides push off to the flanks in an effort
> > to envelop the enemy.  When one side runs short of troops to
> > continue the line, it will pull back its exposed flank into a loop
> > connecting back to its own line.  A fine example is that of Colonel
> > Chamberlain with the 20th Maine at Little Round Top at Gettysburg.
> > It worked -- and he refused to the front and not to the rear as was
> > more commonly done.
> >
> > Marc
> >
> >
> > msmall@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Cha robh bàs fir gun ghràs fir!
> >
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