consider, v.i.

Victor Steinbok aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM
Thu Nov 10 07:22:58 UTC 2011


That's odd, all things considered. Oh, wait! "All things considered"
does not have a separate entry either! This is actually a bit shocking
for the following reasons.

It does make an appearance under consider v., but only in a single quote
under considered (consider 12.).

> 1784 J. Potter /Virtuous Villagers/ I. 163   All things considered, I
> think it will be most adviseable for you to stifle your passion.

What's odd here is not just that this is the only quotation for "all
things considered" under "consider", but that it's the penultimate one
under "considered", with the latest one being four years later:

> 1788 /Gentleman's Mag./ 58 1153   It is enough, considered how easy it
> is to copy out words from other Dictionaries.

It does not mean, however, that the OED is devoid of "all things
considered"--it appears to be a synonym of choice in two different lemmas.


whole n. B.3.d
/on/ or /upon the whole/
> (a) on the basis of the affair as a whole; considering the whole of
> the facts or circumstances; all things considered; 'taking it all
> together'.

world n. P6.c.(a)
>  (a) for all the world: in regard to, or taking into consideration,
> everything in the world, all things considered; (hence) in every
> respect, exactly (like, etc.). Also occas. +for all this world, +in
> all the world. Cf. Phrases 9a.

There are also 17 apparent quotes that pop up when searching for "all
things considered", but one of them is a mention of the NPR show, and 9
of the rest are quotes from Chesterton's All Things Considered (plus one
more mention of Chesterton's title that actually isn't  and the one above).

That leaves 5 (+1).

campshedding/campsheeting n.

> 1862 H. Kingsley /Ravenshoe/ III. xiii. 201   The old gentleman ...
> moved slowly down along the camp-shuting ... . Then the lad ...
> slipped over the camp-shooting (will anybody tell me how to spell that
> word? /Camps-heading/ won't do, my dear sir, all things considered).

gollop v. [this is the +1]
> 1930 A. Kennedy /Orra Boughs/ i. 4   His conclusion, his attempt at
> constructive criticism, had been almost an afterthought. 'All things
> considered' (Ah, how he had golloped Chesterton) 'Burns does have a
> claim to immortality.'

misled adj.
> 1986 W. Weaver tr. U. Eco /Trav. in Hyper Reality/ iv. 171   According
> to the second, they are 'misled comrades', who behave execrably but,
> all things considered, for noble motives.

rushed adj.2 2.
> 1881 W. C. Russell /Ocean Free-lance/ III. v. 162   By the time
> breakfast was piped the yards were crossed and the sails ready for
> bending. This, all things considered, was a very smartly-rushed job.

steadable adj. obs.
> 1648 King Charles I /Let./ 28 Oct. in T. Carte /Coll. Orig. Lett./
> (1735) III. 589,   I am sure, all things considered, it is fittest for
> my service, and I am confident will prove as steadible to him.

turkey n.2 2.d.
> 1824 /Little Bit of Tid-Re-I/ ii. 109   So that, all things
> considered, I hope neither the Indian, whom the Yankey could not cheat
> in the division of their game (a turkey and a buzzard,) ... will
> accuse me of /not talking Turkey/ to them in this article.

This is actually pretty good--we got a full range of quotations:
1648, 1824, 1862, 1881, 1930, 1986
Plus Chesterton's 1908 title and the long-running NPR show.

  Does anyone want to beat 1648?  ;-)

http://goo.gl/0BEOV
The History of the World. [By Sir Walter Raleigh.] London: 1614
Book I. Part I. Ch. 3. Of the Second Punick Warre. Section 15. p. 439
> For h. said, that since they had all of late serued one Master, there
> was little reason why the /Leontines /should not be enfranchised by
> his death, aswel as the /Syracusians/;//yea or much rather, all things
> considered; since in their streetes the Tyrant was slayne and liberty
> first proclaymed.

Beat 1614?

http://goo.gl/dLuSn
Essays. By Michel Lord of Montaigne [de Montaigne]. Translated by John
Florio. 1906 Museum edition of the 1603 translation.
Volume 5. Chapter 5. Upon some Verses of Virgil. p. 183
> Some one may give more, that (all things considered, giveth not so much.
Volume 6. Chapter 13. Of. Experience. pp. 389-90
> Consider but how milde the punishment is, in respect of chers, and how
> favourable. Consider his slowenesse in comming : hee onely incommodeth
> that state and encombreth that season of thy life, which (all things
> considered) is now become barren and lost, having as it were by way of
> composition given place unto the sensuall licenciousnesse and wanton
> pleasures of thy youth. The feare and pitty, men have of this evill,
> may serve thee as a cause of glory.

Another 1603 [?]:

http://goo.gl/eqzTY
A replie unto a certaine libell: latelie set foorth by Fa. Parsons,
1603. Facsimile edition in English Recusant Literature, 1558-1640. By D.
M. Rogers. 1967-1979
> Which although I wish had been omitted, yet all things considered, the
> wrongs that the parties haue particulerly receiued at their hands tor
> many yeeres together, as well as in generall, may somwhat excuse their
> choler.

Maybe this one (1560)? http://goo.gl/RcyZO

     VS-)


On 11/9/2011 2:52 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> Which isn't in OED either.
>
>
> JL
>
> On Wed, Nov 9, 2011 at 1:25 PM, Dan Goncharoff<thegonch at gmail.com>  wrote:
>> Fells like a twist on considering:
>>
>> "A pretty good day, considering."
>>
>> DanG

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