equidating "to the nines" (1787-)

[Wilson Gray]

So, which is earlier, e.g. "card sharper" or "card sharp"? And where
does "card shark fit in?

-Wilson

On 10/3/07, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: equidating "to the nines" (1787-)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Last Saturday, one of those notorious villains, (distinguished by the
> appellation of sharper) dressed in his laced cloaths, and powdered
> off to the nines, went on board of a brig, bound for Calais.
>
> Independent Gazetteer [Philadelphia], 24 March 1787, page 2, col. 3
> [letter addressed "Mr. Oswald, signed "Lutius"].
> [Early American Newspapers]
>
> Joel
>
> At 10/3/2007 07:32 AM, Stephen Goranson wrote:
> >Whether an antedating or no, perhaps it's worth noting in order to ask:
> >what has
> >Ben Bowline got to do with it? [The e in Ben is upsidedown, which may affect
> >searches.]
> >
> >The Herald, (New York, NY) Saturday, March 11, 1837; Issue 310; page 2, col D
> >     The Penny Wedding Category: News  [19th C US Newspapers]
> >[It begins:] A circumstance of a very engaging nature occurred last week at a
> >house in the Broadway...which almost realized the Arabian tale of Aben Hassan.
> >One evening a smart young mechanic, "dressed to the nines," as Ben Bowline
> >says, might have been seen wending his way along broadway. His ais [sic--air?]
> >is thoughtful, yet gay--and his step light and elastic, betokens that
> >"Some unaccustomed spirit
> >Lifts him above the ground"....
> >
> >Stephen Goranson
> >http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
> >
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> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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