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by Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony on June 18th, 2004

Andy Is Wicked Married to Penal Colony

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What is the origin of the golf term "Fore!"?

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  • by Euchre Nut on June 3rd, 2005

    Euchre Nut

    This is from a book entitled, A History of Golf, by Robert Browning, (1955, J.M. Dent & Sons). Browning, a Scot, was the editor of the magazine called, "Golfing" from 1910 to 1955 and was a scholar devoted to tracing the authenticity of the many claims about the games history and lore. His account is as follows:

    Dr. Neilson, a keen student of Scottish history and literature, discovered a passage in the works of John Knox which reads as follows (edited to remove odd 16th century spellings): 'One among many comes to the East Port (i.e., gate) of Leith, where lay 2 great pieces of ordnance, and where their enemies were known to be, and cried to his fellows that were defending at the gate making: "Ware Before!" and so fires the 1st great piece, and thereafter the other.' The cry of 'Beware before', that is "Look out in front" was, of course, the signal for the defenders of the gate to drop to the ground in order that the guns might be fired over them.

    The situation is similar to that of the golfer intending to drive over the head of someone on the fairway in front, and the way in which the military signal 'Ware before!' might in the course of time be cut down to "Fore!" needs no explaining.

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