"presidential"

[Fred Shapiro]

On Sun, 3 Oct 2004, Geoffrey Nunberg wrote:

> I'm trying to find out when "presidential" was first used in the
> sense "having a manner or demeanor befitting a president." The
> earliest cite I've found is from an article in the WSJ, June 2, 2976,
> which says "It would give Mr. Ford a chance to look "presidential,"
> which could help him win over uncommitted delegates..."

An article in the Walla Walla Union Bulletin, 18 Oct. 1973, said of Scoop
Jackson that "He has not looked presidential."

Fred Shapiro


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------