Antedating of "Sweet Sixteen"

[Fred Shapiro]

OED has c1840 for "sweet sixteen."  Ben Zimmer presents the following from
ProQuest in an alt.usage.english posting:

1829 _The Ariel_ 16 May  Has it ever been your lot, To be troubled by a
score Of rather fair and pretty girls, Of sweet sixteen or more.

1831 _The Boquet_ 3 Nov.  The daughter at about 'sweet sixteen,' becomes
acquainted with a wandering, melancholy hypocondriac.

Zimmer also points out an occurrence of "sweet sixteen" _The Intellectual
Regale_ 30 Dec., but here it refers to the year 1816.

Fred Shapiro


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