XPost: alt.usage.english, alt.english.usage   
   From: hayesstw@telkomsa.net   
      
   On Thu, 28 Aug 2025 23:22:51 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"   
    wrote:   
      
   >On 2025/8/28 20:5:45, Sam Plusnet wrote:   
   >He's constantly reminding me that we _all_ have access, at least if we   
   >have a library card (and this access can be used from home - just go via   
   >your [probably county] library site, not direct to the OED site).>   
      
   >> P.S. The thread prompted a discussion about meaning of the word - as it   
   >> was used in a newspaper article published in 1825, so I doubt if any of   
   >> the recent work on the OED would apply.   
      
   >That was one of the reasons I forwarded it [and selections from this   
   >discussion] to (OK, my brother); I thought they might not have that   
   >particular example. His reply did not clarify whether they did. It might   
   >not get into the dictionary itself for one of several reasons, such as   
   >it isn't all that clear from it what the intended meaning _is_, or they   
   >may have earlier(and/or better) citations illustrating that particular   
   >meaning, and so on; they may have (or may have now put) it in their   
   >database - not all such "cardings" get put into the dictionary itself:   
   >for each shade of meaning, only a representative few are, to show things   
   >like first use, and evidence of continued use over the   
   >years/decades/centuries. They have a lot more citations (originally, and   
   >still for those who wish to submit them in that form, on - I think about   
   >4 by 6 inch - cards) than are actually used in the dictionary.   
      
      
   Perhaps you could ask if if they actually *do* have an example or a   
   citation to show the meaning of that particular phrase.   
      
   I think it did originally appear in soc.genealogy.britain, or at least   
   some genealogy forum, in transcriptions of death or obituary notices,   
   I think from Ireland somewhere.   
      
   And perhaps someone who has access could do one of those N-gram things   
   on it, to see when it was most frwequently used and when it does out.   
   I would do it, but when I try such things I usually get a "Your   
   browser is not supported" message.   
      
      
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