some figurative "evergreens"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

OED has only one cite for the figurative sense of "evergreen" (n.):

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1878 E. JENKINS Haverholme 98 Lady Willowgrove..was an evergreen. She had
been a distinguished figure in society for three generations.
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Here are a few different senses:


* person (esp. a woman) with lasting appeal

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1806 _Evening Fire-Side_ 30 Aug. 278/3 _Evergreen_ -- A lady, who by dint
of arts preserves her complexion and the appearance of youth till sixty.
[APS]
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1826 _The Escritoir_ 22 Apr. 99/2 She may be considered an ever-green,
having kept possession of her attractions for forty years with
undiminished fame.
[APS]
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* perennially popular composition, play, etc.

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1858 _N.Y. Times_ 8 Jun. 5/2 If any opera deserves to be called an
evergreen, "Trovatore" is certainly that one.
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* perennial news topic, or an article about such a topic

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1968 _N.Y. Times_ 11 Aug. D19/3 Timeless topics -- "evergreens" they're
called in radio and TV -- are great favorites on talk shows. "Girl Talk"
goes in for such evergreens as fashion, adoption, manners, cancer cures,
the pros and cons of separate vacations for husbands and wives, family
relationships in general, and suicide.
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1999 _Slate_ 7 Sep. Evergreen: An article that could run at any time.
There are two types of evergreens: 1) an article without a direct tie-in
to the day's news (e.g., "Traffic on the Rise in Metro Area"); and 2) a
story that recurs regularly (e.g., "Elderly Threatened by Record Heat").
http://slate.msn.com/id/1003564/
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--Ben Zimmer