Akimbo Games

[Yoana Terrano]

Its akimbo nowadays, but in Middle English, the adverbial phrase in kenebowe was used for the bent, hand-on-hip arm (or later, for any bent position). Originally, the term was fairly neutral, but now saying that a person is standing with "arms akimbo" implies a posture that communicates defiance, confidence, aggressiveness, or arrogance.

The Akimbo opens easily to remove or install a rope mid-line in seconds, and compresses back down into a compact form factor both on and off the rope. When climbing on stationary rope, the chest harness connection point facilitates quick connections by way of an innovative wire gate. As opposed to a closed loop attachment, the wire gate conveniently allows the climber to use a small non-PPE carabiner to connect to the SRS attachment point, or directly to a loop of cord.

The following ropes are approved for use with the Akimbo at the Working Load Limit (WLL) shown below. Only approved ropes should be used with the Akimbo. Working Load is equal to the total weight of the climber including gear. Total Working Load of the climber must not exceed the Working Load Limit (WLL) for the rope listed below or slippage may occur!

As of this writing I have been using this device exclusively for four months of heavy climbing and I can honestly say this has to be the best stand alone multi-scender ever produced. There are other very good devices on the market to be sure, but the Akimbo has the best combination of compactness, ease of use, adjustability and versatility of any mechanical rope tool out there. I can imagine a future when tree climbers would wonder why anyone would use anything else - an Akimbo revolution!

Massive upgrade from climbing with prussiks that bind when it gets a little wet. The akimbo runs up the rope as if it was just a carabiner, but locks off immediately when you sit down, and descent is smooth and easy every time.

The realization started with the word akimbo. I had first learned it as meaning a stance with hands on the hips, and I associated the stance with the comic book image of Superman confronting evildoers. Body language experts sometimes call this a power pose, intended to project confidence or dominance.

By now, it was clear to me that my narrow conception of akimbo had gone askew. I got curious about what other lexical preconceptions of mine might be in disarray, so I turned to penultimate and erstwhile.

A word that has shifted like akimbo is cohort. From its beginnings as a tenth of a Roman legion, the word was later extended to other bands of warriors and to people united in a common cause. Later it also came to refer to a group sharing a demographic characteristic (such as an age cohort or a cohort of students).

Edwin L. Battistella taught linguistics and writing at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, where he served as a dean and as interim provost. His books include Bad Language: Are Some Words Better than Others?, Sorry About That: The Language of Public Apology, and Dangerous Crooked Scoundrels: Insulting the President, from Washington to Trump.

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