Mebbe so (1864); Mebbe (maybe 1824)

Sat Aug 2 23:27:17 UTC 2003

   Yeesh, is this bad.  Not only was "mebbe" not coined at William Safire's high school, but "mebbe" was well known in the 19th century.

(HARPER'S WEEKLY)
402 matches
Results 1 - 100
60-09-15 . . . him very well. Mebbe you can do something with him, you . . .
60-09-15 . . . "I thought mebbe you would come up a little while an . . .
60-09-15 . . . now no prayers--mebbe you'll say one for him." . . .
62-01-04 . . . wild-cat, but, mebbe, that pleased Shem." Of the dist . . .
62-01-04 . . . is- ky. "Mebbe the Colonel's right"--Colonel is the . . .

(HARPER'S WEEKLY)
Search: for the phrase "mebbe so" Within this Harper's Weekly Feature: All Issues and first published in or between "1857" - "1912"
Found: 6 matches
Results 1 - 6
74-01-10 . . . en." "Mebbe so, yer honor. I'll soon know that." . . .
86-12-11 . . . ith. "Mebbe so," assented the other. "Mebbe . . .
86-12-11 . . . ns." "Mebbe some o' them Injuns air named 'Gyptians," . . .
93-09-23 . . . ll." "Mebbe so. I never seen him more'n a minit. But h . . .
93-09-30 . . . ted: "Mebbe so--mebbe they air sinners; but they'd loo . . .
11-12-16 . . . for me. Mebbe some other lumber-jacks wasn't jealous." . . .

(WRIGHT AMERICAN FICTION)
Your simple search in Wright American Fiction, 1851-1875 resulted in 585 matches in 179 records

Stowe, Harriet Beecher, (1811-1896): Uncle Tom's Cabin, or, Life Among the Lowly, Vol. 1 (1852) 5 matches in 5 of 314 pages
CHAPTER IV.
s saved appearances, seemed highly delighted to push the thing under, saying, as she did so, "Well, mebbe 't will do 'em some good." / The house now resolved itself into a committee of the whole,
CHAPTER VII.
didn't go off this morning, as he looked to," said Tom; "that ar hurt me more than sellin', it did. Mebbe it might have been natural for him, but 't would have come desp't hard on me, as has known him
bosom, and walked firmly and swiftly away. The man stood and looked after her. / "Shelby, now, mebbe won't think this yer the most neighborly thing in the world; but what's a feller to do? If he
CHAPTER X.
and ought ter gin't to yer years ago. Mebbe he can't help himself now, but I feel it's wrong. Nothing can't beat that ar out o' me. Sich a
r crittur!" said Aunt Chloe; "ye'll have to come to it, too! ye'll live to see yer husband sold, or mebbe be sold yerself; and these yer boys, they's to be sold, I s'pose, too, jest like as not, when

(LITERATURE ONLINE)
Cummins, Maria Susanna
HAUNTED HEARTS (1864)
   "Mebbe so, countin' by tears,"...
   "Mebbe so, replied the smith,...

Eggleston, Edward
THE MYSTERY OF METROPOLISVILLE (1873)(Also MOA-Michigan--ed.)
   Mebbe so stranger.

(MAKING OF AMERICA--MICHIGAN)
Author: Hyacinth, Socrates
Title: A Piny-Woods Character
Publication Info.: Overland monthly and Out West magazine. / Volume 4, Issue 5, May 1870, pp.474-478
Collection: Making of America Journal Articles
Search results: 2 matches in full text
table of contents | view first page | add to bookbag
A Piny-Woods Character, Socrates Hyacinth, pp.474-478
Page 476  - 2 terms
    "If we'd fir the Yankees by theirselves, mebbe so we would, but the hull world wuz agin' us."

(AMERICAN PERIODICAL SERIES)
   A ROMANCE OF THE LAKES.
MARY W JANVRIN. Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine (1854-1882). New York: May 1865. Vol. 70; p. 414 (11 pages)
 ("Mebbe so" is somewhere here--ed.)

(Earliest hits for "mebbe"--ed.)
DAVID R PORTER HARRISBURO, January 8, 1840.. Saturday Evening Post (1839-1885). Philadelphia: Jan 11, 1840. Vol. VOLUME XIX., Iss. WHOLE No. 963.; p. 0_002 (2 pages)

   Influence of Morals
A Native of Petersburg, Va. Southern Literary Messenger (1834-1845). Richmond: Jul 1838. Vol. 4, Iss. 7; p. 415 (10 pages)

   The Warrior's Wreath
Delta. Southern Literary Messenger (1834-1845). Richmond: Jul 1838. Vol. 4, Iss. 7; p. 424 (1 page)

   The vicissitudes of life, as portrayed in a sketch
H C M. Southern Literary Messenger (1834-1845). Richmond: Jun 1838. Vol. 4, Iss. 6; p. 387 (15 pages)

   REMINISCENCES OF A JURIS-CONSULT.
S. Lady's Book (1830-1833). New York: Jan 1832. p. 1 (4 pages)

   Kiddywinkle history.--No. II
Anonymous. The Port - Folio (1801-1827). Philadelphia: Nov 1824. p. 365 (19 pages)