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76 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 18, 2004 Since you asked ‘Lam’ has icy Norse ancestors An MT story the other day said that two suspects in a kidnapping "remained on the lam." I know the expression means to flee, but does anybody known where it comes from? — Dan T., Medford The expression was common in underworld slang in the late 1800s, Dan. The word "lam" means to beat or thrash. It stems from "lemje," which is from the Norwegian/Icelandic language group, a group with the same Germanic source as English. So how did it get from Vikings to American crooks? Easy. The expression "beat it," meaning "to leave," was current in Old English. So it’s not hard to see how "take it on the lam" meaning "beat it" followed. H.L. Mencken quoted a 1938 story from the New York Herald in which a cop described as "one of the oldest police officers in New York," said he heard the term 30 years earlier. We were going to ask the word guy here at Since You Asked Towers to check out the story, but he took it on the lam. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities