Posted by John on April 07, 2006 at 13:56:09 from 165.91.48.7 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Re: SW: Sentry(-)go posted by Jeremy Kriewaldt on April 06, 2006 at 00:12:38:
[Orig. a phrase of command; SENTRY (used vocatively) + GO v. (imperative).]
a. int. (See quot. 1867.) b. The patrol of a sentry; also, the duties of a sentry. Also transf.
1886
1884
1880
1867
1852-
63 1938
1922
1852-63 BURN Techn. Dict. II. (Eng.-Fr.), Sentry go! en faction! 1867 SMYTH Sailor's Word-bk., Sentry go! The order to the new sentry to proceed to the relief of the previous one. 1880 Daily Tel. 23 Sept., The gallant fellows who were taking their turn at sentry-go on the other side of the Indus. 1884 ROBERTS in 19th Cent. June 1059 Constant guard mounting, with its accompaniment of impaired health from ‘sentry go’. 1886 STEVENSON Treas. Isl. xx, We'll have to do sentry-go. 1922 [see CAVE int.]. 1938 G. GREENE Brighton Rock I. i. 4 This was Hale's job to do sentry go, until a challenger released him, in every seaside town in turn.
Hence sentry-going, doing sentry-go.
1901
1901 Blackw. Mag. Aug. 280/2 After his long term of hard labour at patrolling and sentry-going, as guardian of the line.
This is the OED version. I would give old AR the benefit of the doubt and say his English ws good enough to understand the difference in sentry-go and sentry go. If not we will never know.