Tally
ho?
Posted by nita on March 08, 2002 In Reply to: Re: Sally forth... now how about tally ho?
posted by TheFallen on March 07, 2002
: : : as to the origin
of "sally forth"? anyone?
: : If you meant "sally port":
: : Lifted verbatim
from the Word Detective:
: : "Sally ports" were a feature of castles and fortresses,
a closely-guarded opening or door in the wall of a fortified building designed
for the quick passage of troops. One of the primary uses of these doors was to
mount quick attacks on whatever enemy army might be besieging the castle at the
moment, and here's where we meet "sally." A "sally," from the Latin "salire" meaning
"to jump," was originally a sudden rush out of a besieged position, a lightning
attack designed to surprise the enemy. "Sally" in this original sense first appeared
around 1560, and "sally port" is first found around 1649. "Sally" has since acquired
the broader sense of "an excursion or escapade." And since castles and fortresses
are in short supply these days, "sally port" has gradually come to mean any guarded
doorway or opening.
: ...which perfectly answers the original question. To sally
forth is relatively commonly used, albeit usually when the speaker wants to be
deliberately archaic.
: Now's what's the origin of "Tally Ho"?
Ah, thank goodness
for the South where archaic phrasing still occurs. Sally forth and sally out are
still used quite commonly, espically in Louisiana. I have sallied forth from many
a banquette after receiving lagniappe.
As to Tally Ho . . .
Two hundred years
ago, according to a magazine of that date, the English fox-hunter's cry was
"
Tallio, Hoix, Hark, Forward," which is a corruption of the French hunter's call.
Four hundred years ago the French hunter encouraged his dogs with the musical
cry of "Thia-hilaud a qui forheur!" sometimes printed "Tya-hillaut a qui forheur!"
(These huntsmen's shouts are given in a quaint and rare old French book illustrated
with the strange pictures of the day and entitled "La Venerie de Jacques du Fouilloux,
a Paris 1573.") From this the English manufactured "Tallio, hoix, hark, forward."
Later it has been abbreviated to simply "Tally-ho."
|