Antedate of 'wax' = 'speak emotionally'

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Sat, Aug 2, 2008 at 9:16 AM, Benjamin Zimmer
<bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu> wrote:
>
> 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.

Much earlier for "wax eloquently":

1921 _Atlanta Constitution_ 7 July 8/7 The Cleveland News, being
satisfied with conditions in Ohio, recently waxed eloquently and
libelously on the sad state of affairs in Georgia.

1932 _Atlanta Daily World_ 16 Sep. 4A/6 Hubard..states that Ralph is
waxing eloquently over the prospect of eying the scene of his birth.

Many early hits on Proquest fit the older frame "wax eloquently ADJ"
(e.g., "wax eloquently indignant / talkative / enthusiastic"). Perhaps
the prevalence of "wax ADV ADJ" eventually helped license "wax ADV".


--Ben Zimmer

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