Carded vs Proofed

[Alice Faber]

Jesse Sheidlower said:
>> I remember 'carded', 'carding' from the 70s, past my 21st birthday. I
>> speculated then it came from 'draft card', but by then everyone had a
>> drivers license.
>>
>> What's the date for this particular sense? WWII?
>
>HDAS has 1975, and IIRC Jon Lighter, who grew up and went to college
>in New York City, said that he wasn't really familiar with the expression.

I grew up in central Westchester (New York State, c. 30 miles north of
Times Square) and attended college in central New York State (Cornell). The
only term for this that I recall is "carding". Of course, the drinking age
was 18 when I graduated high school and enrolled at Cornell, so I don't
recall much fear of being carded. I honestly don't recall when I first
encountered the term, but I do remember the first time I was carded (I
dropped into a liquor store by campus to pick up some cooking sherry for a
friend); in particular, I don't remember whether I would have described
this as being carded or as being asked for ID.
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Alice Faber                                       tel. (203) 865-6163
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