![]() ![]() ![]() There's another theory that the word comes from "lammas," which was also spelled "nammou" and was related to "vamoose," which is another slang word for "get the heck outta here." Given how slippery pronunciations may be, it's possible that these words are all connected.īut think about it: "lam" means "beat," and American slang also uses "beat it!" to mean "run away!" So it might make more sense for that Old English "lam" to be used in the same sense: to "beat a retreat," as we also sometimes say. We can see where "lam" started and where it went, but where did it come from? It seems to have originated with the Old English word "lam," which meant "a beating." It's related to the beginning of the word " lambaste," which itself combines two words meaning "to beat or thrash," "lam" + "baste." This word means business. It even made appearances in Appleton's Popular Science Monthly in 1897 and Damon Runyon's " Guys and Dolls" in 1931. We also know that it was used in the phrase "do a lam" in 1897, meaning an escape or a getaway, according to " A Dictionary of the Underworld." From there, it evolved by 1904 to mean being a "lamster" or fugitive, and by 1932 it meant escaping from prison. Aorta was first recorded in English in the 1570s. Aort comes from the verb aeírein, to lift, carry, which is also the source of meteor and may be related to the Word of the Day arioso. So while the coppers may not have been on their tails yet, pickpockets were using the word "lam" as a signal to run away from potential trouble. What is the origin of aorta Aorta comes by way of Latin from Ancient Greek aort, the great artery or, literally, something hung, carried. After he has secured the wallet he will chirp like a bird, or will utter the word "lam!" This means to let the man go, and to get out of the way as soon as possible. ![]()
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