None of us washes our rental cars (antedating 1985)

[Garson O'Toole]

Victor Steinbok wrote
>
> What's the timeframe on "own up [to]"? Just curious...

OED DRAFT REVISION Sept. 2009 has an 1848 cite for "own up". Below is
an antedating to 1843:

own, v. 5 c. intr. orig. U.S. colloq. to own up: to make a full
admission or confession, esp. when challenged or pressed; to confess
frankly (to something). Also with that and clause.

Citation: 1843, High Life in New York by Jonathan Slick (pseudonym of
Ann Sophia Stephens), Page 129, Edward Stephens, New York.

(The spelling in the following quote follows the text.)

I own it eenamost kills me to begin, but the truth will out some time
or other; and a feller that aint ashamed tu du wrong, must be a
sneakin shote if he can't pick up courage tu own up tu the truth, like
a man. It's a tough job, though, to own that you've been made a darn'd
coot, and a leetle wus than that - but all I've got to du is to grin
and bear it.

http://books.google.com/books?id=94UoAAAAYAAJ&q=%22own+up%22#v=snippet&q=%22own%20up%22&f=false

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