"Preaching to the choir" (1970)

[Dave Wilton]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
> Of Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Sent: Tuesday, January 18, 2005 11:22 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: "Preaching to the choir" (1970)
>
>
> PREACHING TO THE CHOIR--150,000 Google hits,  42,700
> (Not in OED. The OUP doesn't hire choirboys.)

The OED does have "preaching to the converted." 1867 MILL Exam. Hamilton's
Philos. (ed. 3) xiv. 319 Dr. M'Cosh is preaching not only to a person
already converted, but to an actual missionary of the same doctrine. 1916 G.
SAINTSBURY Peace of Augustans iii. 144 One may be said to be preaching to
the converted and kicking at open doors in praising..the four great
novelists of the eighteenth century.

--Dave Wilton
  dave at wilton.net
  http://www.wilton.net