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Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009"at staff length"
"at staff length" was used in the movie, _Practical Magic_. This is the first time I've run across the term, and a Google search reveals only a couple of occurrences outside references to the movie. Is this term archaic, rarely used, or simply an invention of the screen writer? Thanks -- Matt Hickman In a modern, complex, and highly industrialized state, revolution is not accomplished by a handful of conspirators whispering around a guttering candle in a deserted ruin. And to handle these factors successfully there be loyalty, secrecy and superlative staff organization. Robert A. Heinlein (1907 - 1988) "If This Goes On--" ASF c.1940 A "staff length" lab coat is 36 inches long. It's not a "term", it's a phrase. It seems to crop up in manga/game discussions about some kind of adversarial competition or combat similar to fencing or jousting. Keeping one's opponent at staff (or staff's) length being a desirable thing. Such a construction is neither rare nor archaic. A fencer want to keep his opponent at least at sword length, a jouster might want to keep his at lance length. I stand corrected. However, the phrase was used improperly in the movie _Practical Magic_, if you are correct about the its usage. The context used in the movie was to hold brooms forward parallel to the floor, arms outstretched, the handle in one hand and the bristles in the other. Eight women, part of an impromptu coven, held the brooms out, forming a circle. with one broom's bristles overlapping the tip of the next broom's handle > A "staff length" lab coat is 36 inches long. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > neither rare nor archaic. A fencer want to keep his opponent at least > at sword length, a jouster might want to keep his at lance length. > "at staff length" was used in the movie, _Practical Magic_. This is > the first time I've run across the term, and a Google search reveals [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks I'd say it's just a variation of "at arms length". As no one carries a staff anymore, guns work better, I would be archaic. |
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