Random find

[Jonathan Lighter]

In later use, however, unmodified "rep" often has an opprobrious
connotation.

JL

On Thu, Apr 14, 2011 at 10:09 AM, Ben Zimmer
<bgzimmer at babel.ling.upenn.edu>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Random find
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Thu, Apr 14, 2011 at 1:56 AM, victor steinbok wrote:
> >
> > Of course, this is just peanuts--it's even older.
> >
> > OED rep n.1:
> >
> > 1677    T. Rawlins Tom Essence v. i. 58   Use my Shop, and pray do you
> too Sir; upon
> >  Rep, I'le sell cheaper to you two, than to any I know.
>
> Indeed -- abbreviating "rep" for "reputation" was one of Jonathan
> Swift's bugaboos, along with "phiz" for "physiognomy" and "mob" for
> "mobile vulgus".
>
> --bgz
>
> --
> Ben Zimmer
> http://benzimmer.com/
>
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