The halt and the lame

Posted by Victoria S Dennis October 17, 2009 at 12:58In reply to The halt and the lame posted by Moo on October 16, 2009 at 18:18:

"The halt and the lame"

I know the meaning, but have been unable to find the origin. It seems to be the only real use of "halt" with this meaning in modern usage.

It's a tautology ("halt" in this phrase being a synonym of "lame"). I suspect it is a misremembering of the various occurrences of "halt" in this sense in the King James Bible, e.g. Luke xiii.21, "The poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind".

Although "halt" as a noun or a verb is more or less obsolete, we do still sometimes say "halting" and "haltingly". (VSD)

Replies

The halt and the lame Smokey Stover 17/October/09
- The halt and the lame RRC 17/October/09
  - The halt and the lame Victoria S Dennis 17/October/09
    - The halt and the lame Smokey Stover 19/October/09