Date:  Tue, 8 Jul 1997 14:50:53 -0700
From:  Peter McGraw <pmcgraw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]LINFIELD.EDU>
Subject: Re: Golden Oldies

I'm pretty sure it DID mean "to go all the way." I remember it being used
with some frequency in the book, but I specifically remember a scene
recounted later by Holden in which he and his date were in the front seat
and Holden's nemesis (I've forgotten his name) and another girl were in
the back seat of a car (or possible vice versa). The other couple were
making out rather heavily, Holden tells us: "I don't think he gave her
the old time that night, but damn near--DAMN near!" (Quote not guaranteed
verbatim, but damn near.)

I don't have my copy of the book here--or at home, either, just now, since
I lent it to the neighbor kid in a (probably vain) attempt to get him
interested in good literature.

Is there no one on the list who was a teenager in the Northeast back then
and can therefore attest whether this was actual usage?

Peter

On Tue, 8 Jul 1997, Peggy Smith wrote:

> I don't think "give her the time" in _Catcher in the Rye_ (c. 1945,
> hence, too early for this study) meant intercourse. I think it was related
> to the expression "to make time with" which was closer in meaning to
> "make out" than "go all the way". I have the book here. It will take me
> a little time to find the passage. If it was used with "old Sally",
> there's no way he meant the more extreme of the two definitions.
>
> Peggy Smith
>