lobby, v. (1826)

[Joel S. Berson]

The good news: take credit where it's due -- lobbying (vbl. n.) is
much later in OED2, 1855.  The bad news: surely lobbying is later
than lobby used verbally.  Won't you now have to search for the
latter earlier than 1826?

  :-)

(Too bad there's no "Early British Newspapers"  -- I think?  Lobby
(n) referring to the area where the hoi polloi could speak to the
legislators dates from 1640.  Might one find lobby or lobbying in
Early American Newspapers?)

Joel

At 11/7/2006 07:24 AM, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>lobby, v. (OED2/MWCD11 1837)
>
>1826 _Reformer_ (Philadelphia, Pa.) May 70/1 Rumour says that several
>of these self-styled reverend divines have been guilty of _lobbying_
>for funds.
>[HNP Doc ID 355550991]
>
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>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org