Classless (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Jonathan Lighter]

The earliest adj. "no-good" (1904) in the latest OED revision is from one of O. Henry's short stories.

  JL

"Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC"
Subject: Re: Classless (UNCLASSIFIED)
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Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE



>
> HDAS has "no-class," adj., back to 1965, but there's a
> slightly less definitive ex. as long ago as 1897.
>
> The earliest HDAS ex. of the adjectival form "no-X" that is
> beyond question is "No-Taste theatre-goers," 1908.
>
> Like the poor, the no-taste are ever with us.
>
> JL
>

I haven't searched, but wouldn't be surprised if "no-good" doesn't
antedate this.
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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