"Keep your eye peeled" slight antedating (1848) "keep your eyes skinned" (UNCLASSIFIED)

Tue Dec 8 16:34:18 UTC 2009

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE


> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf Of Garson O'Toole
> Sent: Friday, December 04, 2009 4:56 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: "Keep your eye peeled" slight antedating (1848) "keep your
> eyes skinned" (1831)
>
>
> (OED DRAFT REVISION Sept. 2009) peeled, adj. b. orig. U.S. colloq. to
> keep one's eyes peeled and variants: to remain alert, be on the
> lookout; to watch carefully for.
>
> OED cite is 1852. This can be antedated to 1848.
>
> Citation: 1848, March, "The Cruise of the Gentile" by Frank Byrne,
> Graham's Magazine, page 136, No. 3, Vol. 32, Philadelphia.
>
> "'We take no note of time,'" spouted the third mate, drawing his watch
> from his pocket. "For'ard, there! strike four bells, and relieve the
> wheel. Keep your eye peeled, look out; and mind, no caulking."
>
>
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZZ7PAAAAMAAJ&q=eye+peeled#v=snippet&q=
> %22eye%20peeled%22&f=false
>

The Daily Atlas, (Boston, MA) Friday, August 02, 1844; Issue 28; col C
"The Whigs of Hampden must keep their eyes 'peeled,' or they'll lose
that banner."


Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

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