[Ads-l] Antedating of "Kleptomaniac"

Shapiro, Fred fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Mon Feb 1 16:07:37 UTC 2016


kleptomaniac (OED 1861)

1850 _United States Monthly Law Magazine_ Jan. 14 (HeinOnline)  He simply obeys an "irresistible impulse," caused by a diseased condition of two square inches of his cerebrum; and instead of ejaculating, "Curse the thieving rascal!" it is your duty to exclaim, in a commiserating tone, "Poor, unfortunate cleptomaniac!"

Fred Shapiro

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



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