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ramp ceremony
[< Australian English]
dchp3.1 (Jan 2015)
n. — Military
a ceremony held as the body of a soldier killed in action overseas is loaded onto a plane returning it to Canada.
Type: 5. Frequency — The term, suggested as a Canadianism (Dollinger 2006b: 6), is much more frequent in Australia (see Chart 1). The ceremony appears to have been adopted by the Canadian Forces contingent in Afghanistan, where their Australian colleagues had used it since at least the late 1990s.
In the North American context the term can be considered Canadian by virtue of its discourse frequency, which is higher by factor of 20 compared with the US (see Chart 1).
In the North American context the term can be considered Canadian by virtue of its discourse frequency, which is higher by factor of 20 compared with the US (see Chart 1).
Quotations
2006
Photo: Canadian Press / Pallbearers carry the casket of Cpl. Paul James Davis during a ramp ceremony at Kandahar Airfield yesterday.
2007
[...] following a ramp ceremony earlier today at Kandahar Airfield.
2014
After a ramp ceremony, where we said goodbye to four of Canada's finest sons, a lone piper stood on the roof of the airport terminal, in the setting sun, and played Amazing Grace.
References
- Dollinger (2006b)
Images
