down to brass tacks (1867)

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

It was my understanding that BRASS TACKS derived from Cockney rhyming slang
(= 'facts'). If so, there must be a London usage that predates the American one
shown here.


In a message dated 11/7/06 11:38:02 AM, bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU writes:


> On 11/7/06, Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
> >
> > From the 19th C. US Newspapers database (guessing on the page number):
> >
> > 1867 _Bangor (Maine) Daily Whig & Courier_ 12 Jan. 2[?]/3 The
> > Galveston Bulletin says that Texas must "come down to brass tacks" and
> > accept the constitutional amendment, unless the people wish Congress
> > to proceed with reconstruction.
>
> Using the "browse list" feature on the database, I see I was correct
> in guessing that the page number is 2.
>
>
> --Ben Zimmer
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>

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