︎
This Ngram shows the relative frequency of the two phrases in the topic. The second does not clearly outnumber first until the 1970s and appears to continue exponentially outnumbering it.
The origin of the first phrase seems to obviously come from the late 1800s as instructions on how to operate a projectile weapon (whether gun or rifle and I'll use 'gun' to mean both from now on). While mathematically and logically AND is commutative, when used in instructions, the order is usually important and not commutative. Specifically, in many guns, the cartridge has to be loaded into the firing chamber before the action can be locked (also known as 'applying the safety').
I propose that the phrase started to be used by persons unfamiliar with gun operation and that the second phrase sounds better to the ear. So much, in fact, that our favorite, precise android, Data, made a mistake when using the second phrase in 'Insurrection'.
Any thoughts?
Emmett
EmmettRedd said
Specifically, in many guns, the cartridge has to be loaded into the firing chamber before the action can be locked (also known as 'applying the safety').
Any thoughts?Emmett
I think the "lock" part refers to locking the bolt back so the breech is open for loading. Hence, first lock and then load.
Peano said
I think the "lock" part refers to locking the bolt back so the breech is open for loading. Hence, first lock and then load.
Not if one reads the 19th century military training manuals that one finds in the links below the Ngram graph.
My brother is an avid NRA-card-carrying gun fanatic, and he also observed that Data said "lock and load" in that movie. He pointed out that the phrase was really irrelevant, since they were using phaser-type weapons (which don't need to be "locked" or "loaded"), but was a cool thing for the character to say given the western type of atmosphere in that scene. He also pointed out that, for new weapons, one actually "unlocks (ejecting the spent shell casing), loads, and re-locks" but that in earlier days (as EmmettRedd points out) the expression was indeed "load and lock." Why that changed to "lock and load" is almost certainly due to the influence of that Star Trek movie, imho.
Heimhenge said
...Why that changed to "lock and load" is almost certainly due to the influence of that Star Trek movie, imho.
The big increase in the supremacy of "lock and load" started about 1970. The movie was from 1998. So, I think the movie reflected the more common use of "lock and load".