3.263 help with the OED (298)

Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA)
Tue, 18 Jul 89 19:29:16 EDT


Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 263. Tuesday, 18 Jul 1989.

Date: Tue, 18 Jul 89 09:28:31 EDT
From: RGLYNN@VAX.OXFORD.AC.UK

[At my suggestion Ruth Glynn of OUP Electronic Publishing here passes
along a list of words for which the editor of the Oxford English
Dictionary would like to find occurrences. OUP is a commercial venture,
true, but the Dictionary is of such immense value to scholars in
English, and responding to such queries is so much fun in itself, that I
think such a query appropriate for Humanist. Any who disagree are, of
course, free to argue the point. After all, we do nothing better
than argue about things. In any case, please circulate this list. --W.M.]


Appeal List no. 16

Dictionary entries for new words, sense, and expressions
are now being prepared for the OED and for other Oxford
dictionaries.

Additional quotations for the following words would usefully
complement the entries now under consideration. Unless
otherwise stated, examples are needed which predate the
bracketed date in each request.

Please send quotations to John Simpson, Co-Editor, OED
Oxford University Press, Walton Street, Oxford OX2 6DP,
UK. Or to JSIMPSON at UK.AC.OXFORD.VAX. (Please do *NOT*
send them to RGLYNN.) In your reply please say that you
are responding to the appeal list posted on the HUMANIST.
Thanks in advance for your help.

The words are listed as ITEM, followed by the REQUEST on
the second line. Asterisk indicates italics.

oaf
= boorish, ill-mannered person (any exx.)

obfuscatory (a.)
(1961)

obituarial (a.)
= characteristic of an obituary notice (1978)

obliteration
= postmark used to cancel a stamp (recent exx.)

under observation
in *Mil.* use, of an enemy patrol, enemy activities,
etc. (1975)

obsess (v.i.)
= to worry obsessively (any exx.)

obviously
(in reply to question) = yes, of course (any exx.)

occlusion (fig.)
= blocking out, as of an event from one's memory (1980)

off (prep.)
= with a handicap of, as in 'off 6' (any exx. outside golf)

off (prep.)
= not in communication via, as in 'off the air' (1940)

off (prep.)
= abstaining from, as in 'off drink', 'off drugs' (post 1958)

off
exx. of 'claws off', 'fingers off', 'feet off', but *not*
'hands off' or 'paws off'

off (adv.)
= out of the question, 'not on' (any exx.)

offendedness
(any exx.)

oggy
= Cornish pasty (1976)

O.K., Okay
introductory exclam., as in 'Okay, now listen to me',
'Okay, so I lost my temper' (1970)

O.K., Okay (a.)
= mediocre, as in 'it was O.K. but not wonderful' (any exx.)

old (a.)
= familiar through constant repetition or recurrence, as in
'I felt that old hurt welling up inside me' (recent exx.)

olim
= at one time, formerly, as in 'Jakarta (*olim* Batavia)'
(any exx. between 1645 and 1975)

omerta
*trans.* from Mafia, = oath or code of silence (any exx. *not*
Mafia)

on
as in 'come on down' (recent exx.)

one
= I, used to suggest social superiority (1978)

oojimaflip (and varr.)
(any exx.)

oomph
= power, esp. in a car (1975)

open date
= unspecified future date (for ticket, meeting etc.) (1967)

order (v.t.)
= to set in numerical or alphabetical order (any exx.)

orangish (a.)
(1977)

ordain (v.t.)
= to decide upon (a time, an appointment, etc.) (1934)

organ
= penis (1922)

organize (v.t.)
= to arrange, as in 'to organize the chairs round the table'
(1950)

organized (a.)
of a person, as in 'he's so organized he gets up at 6 every
morning' (1976)

otherness
= the state of being different from other people (exx. between
1919 and 1980)

otherwhere (n.)
as in 'an artificial otherwhere peopled by gorgeous phantoms'

otherwhere (a.)
as in ' he still wore a glazed, otherwhere look' (any exx.)

our
as in 'no-one objected to our going' (any 20th C. exx.)

out (1)
of the tide, at its lowest ebb (recent exx.)

out (2)
= out of doors, as in 'is it cold out?' (1961)

out (3)
=out of the closet (1979)

out (4)
= out of order (of telephone, radio, etc.) (1975)

outs (sb. pl.)
= those who lack money, status, popularity, etc. (1955;
post 1980)

outboard (of)
= to the outside of (*not* boats) (1966)

pan (v.t.)
= to strike, hit, punch (1942)

pancrack
= social security benefit, or the Dept. that pays it
(?etymology?) (1986)

panic (v.t.)
= to delight (an audience), esp. to make them laugh
(post 1960)

panoptic (a.)
*fig.,* of a writer or piece of writing, = covering every
aspect of a subject (1972)

parade (v.i.)
= to strut (not necessarily in public) (1961)

parade (v.t.)
to expose (e.g. one's ignorance) (any exx.)

parade (v.i.)
= as in 'prurience and disgust parade under the banner
of social studies' (any exx.)

paralysed
= drunk (recent ex.)

parking
= an area to park in, as in 'ample parking will be
provided' (any exx.)

partner
(1) = a lover (homo- or heterosexual) (any exx.)
(2) = one who accompanies another to an entertainment
(any exx.)

patchwork (v.)
(any exx.)

pea-brain
(1959)

pea-brained (a.)
(1975)

peal (v.t.)
esp. to peal bells (any exx.)

peal (v.i.)
as in 'the telephone pealed loudly' (any exx.)

pearly whites (also pearlies)
= teeth (any exx.)

ped-xing
short for 'pedestrian crossing' (1984)

peep
= a short high-pitched sound produced mechanically or
electronically (1957)

pend (v.t.)
= to put off, postpone (1953)

penetration
in Sport, = the ability to get through opponent's defence
(any exx.)

penetrating (a.) and penetrative
=having this ability (any exx.)

pennanted (a.)
= decorated with a pennant (1972)

perform (v.i.) (1)
= to do well, as in 'people are coming under pressure to
perform' (any exx.)

perform (v.i.) (2)
= to copulate (successfully) (1977)

peripatetic (a.) (1)
= carried about from place to place (and recent exx.)

peripatetic (a.) (2)
of a way of life, involving much being away from home,
moving house, etc. (1954)

peripatetic (a.) (3)
of e.g. a theatre company or event, performing or held in
a series of locations (1970)

permission
= a written authorization to do something
(exx. between 1867 and 1979)

perpetuate (v.t.)
as in ' the press perpetuates the notion that ... etc.'
(any exx.)

a person
= anyone, as in 'that wind really goes through a person'
(any exx.)

pessimal
= opposite of 'optimal' (1977)

petition (v.i.)
as in 'local residents petitioned against the new road'
(any exx.)

physis
= nature (in any sense) (any exx.)

pickily
(any exx.)

pit
= bed (R.A.F. slang) (any exx.)