Tarzan

alternative Tarzan of the Apes

1. fictionA heroic fictional character, raised from a baby to adulthood in the African jungle by apes.

plural Tarzans · alternative Tarzan of the Apes

1. broadlyA strong wild man; any man showing attributes of Tarzan, as muscularity, agility, etc.

   "[A]s if we all like climbing around in trees, like monkeys or Tarzans."

   1991 September 7, The Daily Telegraph, London, page 13

   4 more examples

   "My job is to grab him before he slaughters more." "He sounds a bit of a Tarzan." "A wild man right enough is Toowanor, but from his size you'd never imagine he was a killer."

   1937, Ion Idriess, Over The Range, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, published 1947, page 47

   PAYNE STEWART, beating his heart like a Tarzan, drummed out a message to the rest of the Open Championship field with three days to go before the off. "I'm ready," he said, "definitely ready."

   1993 July 13, “Golf: Stewart in good heart”, in The Guardian, Manchester

   The top price of £4,500 belongs to Michael Heseltine, but there is little glory here. The caption, of a Tarzan cruelly ravaged by time, is 'But even the beautiful can age.'

   1993 November 28, “You never forget a good nanny”, in The Guardian, Manchester

   There was nothing really statuesque about him; this wasn't a kind of Tarzan, with massive shoulders and great muscles and limbs as strong as a beast's, but a tall, lean, handsome man, who moved with superlative ease.

   2011, John Creasey, The Flood

present singular third person Tarzans · participle present Tarzaning · participle past Tarzaned · past Tarzaned · alternative Tarzan of the Apes

1. To behave in the manner of Tarzan, especially by swinging from ropes, climbing trees, and other feats of athleticism.

   None of us had ever "Tarzaned" off a cliff[.]

   1992 September 13, “Shedding Inhibitions – and Even Clothes – on a Kauai Wilderness Tour”, in The Seattle Times, page 7

   5 more examples

   Elmo Lincoln, that mighty man of valor who Tarzaned about, has issued a challenge to Jack Dempsey, and we wish him all the luck in the world.

   1919 August 16, “Hollywood Hokum”, in Motion Picture News, New York, page 1475, column 2

   Later in the evening a tree climbing contest was held. Paul Gipe was the only entry. However, judging from the manner in which he tarzaned up and down the big tree he would have had small competition.

   1935 July 23, “Here and There in Sports' Land”, in New Castle News, New Castle, PA, page 10, column 4

   Once, when he was about 12, he had attached a rope to the roof, thrown the other end to the top of a tree and the next morning "Tarzaned" across from the tree to his parents' window. He could still remember the look of startled anger on their faces, and how it changed to the one of pleasure they always had for him. After that he often "Tarzaned" in for a morning visit.

   1953 March 21, The Advertiser, Adelaide, page 6, column 4

   "He Tarzaned it," Abshier says, describing Deputy King's wild, but ultimately successful, flying tackle. "He spent the rest of the day pulling dewberry stickers out of his pants."

   1997 March 6, “Texas Officer Perfects Art of Lassoing Emus”, in The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, page 3

   Being a devotee of the Johnny Weismuller school of Tarzaning, no wasp-waisted cartoon character can get my blood aboil.

   1999 July 18, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta, Ga, page 8