"Mistress"

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Aug 22, 2008, at 2:47 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> At 8/22/2008 01:02 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>> "Mistress" is _not what you think_, you filthy-minded beggars!
>
> A genuinely serious question -- what was it (predominantly) in
> mid-18th century America?  From a Boston newspaper:
>
> "On Saturday Evening ... one Ez kiel N-d m of this Town, and another
> Young Man ... was going over to Roxbury to see their Mistresses ..."

if i read my OED right, this sense isn't there, and i find that
surprising.  it's such a natural sense development.

arnold

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