She was only...

[Dennis R. Preston]

It's not exactly the same subgenre (from a strictly syntactic point
of view), but what do you mean? Do you claim it to be an older form?

We've got the "horse manure" form back to 1940 more or less.

dInIs

>What about
>She was as pure as the driven snow
>until she drifted"
>>
>>  >Is "She was only the farmer's daughter, but all the horsemen knew
>>  >her" the Ur-form of this subgenre?
>>  >
>>
>>  It certainly is for me, based on how long ago I heard it from my
>>  mother.  But that would have been somewhat after 1939, so I can't
>>  supply a relevant antedate.
>>
>>  L
>>
>>  >OED does not list this word.
>>  >>
>>  >>  1922 W. H. D. Rouse _Chanties in Greek and Latin: Written for Ancient
>>  >>  Traditional Airs_ (Oxford: B. Blackwell) (_title_).
>>  >>
>>  >>  1939 Elliot Paul _Mysterious Mickey Finn_ (rpt. N.Y.: Collier, 1962)
>>  >>  225: Hjalmar Jansen was roaring a chanty as he spun the wheel. 'She
>>  >>  was only a poet's daughter, / But she never was averse.' "
>>  >>
>>  >>  JL


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages
A-740 Wells Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: (517) 432-3099
Fax: (517) 432-2736
preston at msu.edu