Date:  Mon, 19 Jan 1998 20:26:10 -0500
From:  Gerald Cohen <gcohen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UMR.EDU>
Subject: "on the level"

  The discussion about the origin of "to level the playing field" leads
me to the expression "on the level" (=honest, straightforward). RHHDAS has
this expression going back to 1872. But what was the original imagery
here? When someone said "He's on the level" what level was being referred
to?

--Gerald Cohen

gcohen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]umr.edu