prissy, 1842 (?)

[George Thompson]

The OED says that "prissy" dates from the mid 1890s, and is probably compounded from "prim" and "sissy".

Here is an occurence of the word from 1842.  The meaning isn't at all clear, but it is obiously used in an affirmative sense, quite the opposite of the post 1890s meaning.  The person described is Martin Van Buren, who was campaigning for the presidency.

"Time has been merciful to him.  He looks more fresh and prissy than ever we saw him, excepting that his locks are a little more like those of his 'illustrious predecessor,' being whitened by the snows of a few more winters."  From the New Orleans Daily Picayune, of April 12 or 15, 1842, perhaps citing the Natchez Free Press; as cited in Ralph M. Aderman & Wayne R. Kime, Advocate for America: The Life of James Kirke Paulding, Selingrove: Susquehanna U. Pr., 2003, p. 272 and footnote 18, p. 383.

Van Buren was 60 in 1842, and it would seem a bit extreme to describe a 60-year old as "pristine", -- myself being an exception, of course -- but could this be a shortening of that word?

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African
Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998.