Further Antedating of "Hoax"

[Fred Shapiro]

On Wed, 19 May 2004, George Thompson wrote:

> The OED (print version) has 1808 for Hoax.
>
> The paragraph of the Foot-Race in Saturday's Gazette, was sent to us by
> Samuel P. Adriance -- it was no HOAX of ours. N-Y Gazette & General
> Advertiser, March 23, 1807, p. 2, col. 4.  This is referring to the

Here's a further antedating:

1800 P. Littlejohn _The Mistake_ III. 54 (ECCO)  He declared on his honor,
the whole to be an egregious _hoax_, and that the story of the dog and the
watch-house, was occasioned by an affair of gallantry with the _rib_ of
the very grocer.

Fred Shapiro


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