Antedating of "Stand Out/Stick Out Like a Sore Thumb"

Fred Shapiro fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Sat Apr 10 19:32:40 UTC 2004


Evan Kirshenbaum has posted the following antedating for "stand out/stick
out like a sore thumb" (OED 1936) on alt.usage.english:

    But, if ever there was an individual whose pure-bred
    disinterestedness, whose incomparable generosity, whose
    astonishing sacrifice of self, stuck out like a sore thumb, these
    attributes have now been evinced, beyond the shadow of a shade of
    question, on this exhilarating occasion, through the astounding
    liberality of a gentleman, the initals of whose name are Finnyous
    Tee Barman!

        George P. Burnham.  _The History of the Hen Fever.  A Humorous
        Record_. 1855.  Pp 215-216.


Fred Shapiro


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