One of these days I'm going to buy an OED, at least the desktop one -- I understand the full thing runs to several volumes.

I'm getting the sense now that "fired/firing" is either an archaic or an academic usage (where someone might write in an academic journal that "Alexander fired the building"), or both. Thanks for the "torching" suggestion, Kerry!

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Formerly:
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I think it's something like twenty volumes. I once aspired to own a copy, but now I'm trying to pare down . . .

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My theory is that "to fire' meaning 'to burn' went out of vogue once 'to fire' meaning 'to dismiss an employee' came into vogue. But I'm completely at a loss to figure out how the meaning 'to dismiss an employee' ever arose from the verb 'fire'. Anybody have any clues?
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Burn him, maybe, as in incenerate,=) turn to ashes =) vaporize,=) disappear...be gone!!

In the early days of steam propulsion, railroads and ships had "firemen" who "fired" the boilers. To fire the boilers meant to keep the fires going by adding coal, or later, oil into the "firebox" of the boiler to generate heat to boil water into steam to run the turbine or move the pistons, etc...
"Firing the boilers" essentially meant keeping fire/flame level (and heat) at the level needed for the load demands of the moment.
There was an actual job in Merchant Marine engine rooms called "Fireman" In the Navy, they were called BT's (Boiler Tech's)
The job and the usage has faded in the last 20-30 years.

In pursuit of trivia...

As a matter of fact, when I was checking one of my dictionaries last night about this (of course I have more than one. Doesn't everybody?), I ran across a hint of this. Apparently it arose from the use of the phrases "to discharge [or fire] a weapon" and "to discharge an employee." If "discharge" can apply to both your gun and your employee, and "fire" can also apply to setting off your gun, then it can apply to the luckless SOB whose job is getting cut. . . .
.

__________________
* *
-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino

Paul, have you ever read any of Caleb Carr's books (Angel of Darkness, The Alienist, etc)? Speaking of usig antiquated language. His books are mostly detective or police proceedural stories set in Nineteenth Century New York. If you haven't, you should. I guarantee you'd like them.

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

Firing is absolutely the right word for that situation. You are describing a situation as seen by a policeman. That is the word that person would have used in that situation. It is called jargon.

If you were writing a scientific paper on arson, and NOT referring the colloquial word locals use to describe arson then 'firing' would not be correct.

So, that's how you guys in Texas talk, Kip?

__________________
" We have nothing to fear but the main stream media itself . . . ."- Adapted from Franklin D Roosevelt for the 21st century

OBK #55

1998 Lincoln Continental - Sold
Max 1984 300TD 285,000 miles - Sold
The Dee8gonator 1987 560SEC 196,000 miles - Sold
Orgasmatron - 2006 CLS500 90,000 miles
2002 C320 Wagon 122,000 miles
2016 AMG GTS 12,000 miles

The Quality Paperback Book Club used to give out copies of the OED with membership. I got mine that way. It requires a magnifying class to read it. 'Fire' ran 4 full pages so I decided not to.

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1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

IMHO if your book took place 100 years ago firing would be the perfect word.

If its more recent I'd say they torched it.

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The point you guys are missing is that given that this a novel and the author is trying to describe a situation using the vernacular of the time and place. In that instance the point is not to be grammatically correct, the point is to paint a certain picture with words that would be apropos to the genre of the story. Read the old 1930s and 1940s detective novels. They sound hokey by today's standards, but the reflect the mood of the times.

Thats what I am saying as well. Some of the stuff I read uses old language either because its old, or is written to sound that way.


Sadly I am not familer with his transcript, some story context is needed. Is this a 2008 NY city cop? Or an 1890 cop?

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The actual year of the story is not as important as scene that he is trying to set. Many areas of the country use words that are dated or slang. I lived in Australia for many years. Much of the slang they use there is from the 17 and 1800s.

Thats true, context is everything.

The last book I read with interesting language was Churchill's. 1940's British English is pretty cool.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

The only time I recall hearing "fire" to denote igniting a structure was in a movie. It was set in the 1770's and a British officer (portrayed as quite an asshat) ordered his troops to "Fire the house."

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