Antedating of "odd man out" 1873

[James Knight, MLIS]

Probably not quite the same meaning, but...

<<< snip >>>

The Times, Monday, Jun 01, 1840; pg. 8; Issue 17372; col A
TO LADIES.-For SALE, To-day and during
Category: Classified Advertising

As Groom, or odd man out, of the house, a remarkably sober and respectable
young man from the country, age 28, who can drive a pair, and has a good
knowledge of a garden and meadow land. Can have two years' character.
Direct to J.B., 5, Canal-road, Mile-end.

<<< snip >>>

Does the OED count advertisements?

At 05:47 PM 1/28/04, you wrote:
>M-W has 1923.  OED 1889.
>
>Using newspaperarchive,
>
>4 Jan. 1873.  Placerville(CA) Mountain Democrat.  1/6.
>(In a riddle similar to today's Bellboy/$25/ who got the missing $2- email)
>
>   <<Thus the twelfth man got his bed.  Of course, there is a hole in the
> saucepan somewhere; but we leave the reader to determine where the
> fallacy is, with just a warning to think twice before deciding as to
> which, if any of the travelers was the odd man out.>>

-------------------------------------------------------------
James L. Knight, MLIS,
jlk at 3geckos.net (Friday Harbor, WA)
james.knight at thomson.com (Thomson/Gale - West Region)
http://3geckos.net