So, "Shelter in Place" has now entered the English language. Is the Boston lockdown it's first use?

[Voyager]

@Senegoid

Yes, there are some oil refineries around the S. F. Bay Area. Every time they have an incident that involves release of nasty fumes (like if there’s a fire or a leak), there is some kind of emergency broadcast. “Shelter In Place” is one of the categories of response that they might ask people to do, depending on the extent of the toxic release, how dangerous it is, wind conditions and direction, and so forth.

ETA: And as most others have already noted: No, it’s nothing new.

Yes, the Chevron refinery blows up regularly, spewing fumes into the neighborhood and requiring a shelter in place. I agree, nothing new.

[SCAdian]

@SCAdian

Just checked a few online dictionaries - all four of them include shelter as an intransitive verb meaning “to take cover” or “to take shelter.”

My OED has cites back to the 1600s.

@Peremensoe

Cites as the intransitive?

That’s what we were talking about…