Antedate of 'wax' = 'speak emotionally'

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 12:34 AM, Douglas G. Wilson <douglas at nb.net> wrote:
>
> > Anyone have pre-1990 attestations?
> Here's one which appears to be published in 1980:
>
> http://books.google.com/books?id=gKEg7VyHiIoC&pg=PA80&dq=%22waxed+eloquently%22+date:1700-1990&lr=&num=100&as_brr=3&sig=ACfU3U1det59jDEyFbh84oVH0iumRBpSMQ
>
> <<The influential English economist, John Stuart Mill, waxed eloquently
> on this point: ....>>

1973 Joe Adamson _Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Sometimes Zeppo_ 398
"There are many scenes of splendor and fierce antagonism," he waxed
rhapsodically.
http://books.google.com/books?id=q35ZAAAAMAAJ

1974 _Oakland Tribune_ 15 Oct. E17/4 Over Rust's contemporary Dussek,
[Vladimir] Pleshakov waxed rhapsodically. "Dussek was five to 10 years
ahead of Beethoven in pianistic devices, and 30 years ahead of Chopin
in fusing an epicaphysiognomy," he elucidated in arcane fashion.

I can't help with "epicaphysiognomy".

--Ben Zimmer

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