What I am particularly interested in is the phrasal verb stand down.
According to Oxford Online Dictionary, it means:
Relax or cause to relax after a state of readiness:
However, whenever I hear this phrasal verb in movies or TV shows, it sounds more like "do not engage (do not aim/do not shoot)" or "lower your guns from the target".
Question: I am interested in knowing about its origin and etymology. What exactly does stand down mean? Any object of the verb stand is omitted or something else?
Best Answer
According to the following source the origin is from military jargon and its first usage dates back to the beginning of the 20th century.
Stand down:
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