Antedating of "Dutch wife"

Hugo hugovk at GMAIL.COM
Fri Apr 5 13:26:30 UTC 2013


Dutch wife (OED 1891)

_Narrative of a voyage round the world, during the years 1835, 36, and 37_
(vol.1, p.380) by William Samuel W. Ruschenberger and published in 1838,
describes his stay on the island of Java (which had passed from the Dutch
to the British in 1811):

[BEGIN EXTRACT]
We found our sleeping rooms pleasant. The beds were supplied with an
additional hard bolster or pillow whereon to rest the lower limbs, which
has obtained the somewhat equivocal name of "Dutch wife."
[END EXTRACT]

Read online: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=L2cEAAAAQAAJ

Hugo

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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