Quarterly Report

[Dave Monroe]

As virtually any other sense of the word, "quarter,"
seems to connotes a fourth of something or another
(perhaps a connection with the phrase, "drawn and
quartered," here?), I've submitted the question to ...

http://www.word-detective.com/index.html

This is a pretty useful site, worth perusing what's
already been covered there ...

http://www.word-detective.com/backidx.html

But keep in mind, they still haven't answered my
question about the word "zombie" from some time back,
so ... seems to me that the OED ought to be able to
clear this up, but ...

But howzabout this? From the 1913 ed. of Webster's ...

http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=Quarter

Quarter (Page: 1174)

Quar"ter (?), n. [F. quartier, L. quartarius a fourth
part, fr. quartus the fourth. See Quart.]
 
2. Proper station; specific place; assigned position;
special location. 

     Swift to their several quarters hasted then The
cumbrous elements. Milton.

Hence, specifically: (a) (Naut.) A station at which
officers and men are posted in battle; -- usually in
the plural. (b) Place of lodging or temporary
residence; shelter; entertainment; -- usually in the
plural.

     The banter turned as to what quarters each would
find. W. Irving.

(c) pl. (Mil.) A station or encampment occupied by
troops; a place of lodging for soldiers or officers;
as, winter quarters. (d) Treatment shown by an enemy;
mercy; especially, the act of sparing the life a
conquered enemy; a refraining from pushing one's
advantage to extremes. 

     He magnified his own clemency, now they were at
his mercy, to offer them quarter for
     their lives. Clarendon.

     Cocks and lambs . . . at the mercy of cats and
wolves . . . must never expect better
     quarter. L'Estrange.

3. Friendship; amity; concord. [Obs.] To keep quarter,
to keep one's proper place, and so be on
good terms with another. [Obs.] <-- ## abnormal
format. Should be a collocation. --> 

     In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom.
Shak.

     I knew two that were competitors for the
secretary's place, . . . and yet kept good
     quarter between themselves. Bacon.

Certainly, if one is neither offerning "qurater," nor
is one asking for it, not only do "Friendship; amity;
concord" go by the wayside, and, along with them, any
offer or even hope of a "Place of lodging or temporary
residence; shelter; entertainment," but, certainly,
one's "Proper station; specific place; assigned
position; special location" as well.  But I'll let you
know if I hear anything ...

--- Samuel Moyer <smoyer at satx.rr.com> wrote:
> Can someone please tell me what the phrase "no
> quarter" means.  For example:  Pp. 188-89 "St.
> George and no quarter."  I keep coming across the
> words "no quarter" and would love to know just what
> it means... thanks. Sam
> 


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