"button-hole", v., 1848 & 1856, antedates 1862-; "button-hole talk" 1843

[Joel S. Berson]

(Although "button-hold" is earlier in the OED.)  All from 19th
Century U.S. Newspapers.

(1)  1848 --

"Letters from Perley ... Washington, March 8, 1848. ... This balcony
is a favorite lounge of the aspirants for office, as they can see a
member enter the gate, and by hurrying down stairs, button-hole him
ere he enters the capitol."

The Boston Daily Atlas (Boston, MA) Thursday, March 16, 1848; Issue 221; col B

Antedates "button-hole" v. sense 2.  1862--.
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(2)  1856 --

"The delegates have been button holed and badgered at every corner
for the last week, and they must feel relieved at the contest being
at an end at last."

The New York Herald, (New York, NY) Saturday, October 04, 1856; pg. 8; col A.
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(3)  1856 --

"... they have distinctly stated ... that none who bore and
button-hole them in the street, while dilating upon their many
virtues and qualifications for office, shall receive any favor at their hands."

The Alta California, (San Francisco, CA) [Friday], [September 05, 1856]; col E
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(4)  An antecedent?, 1823 --

"Sometimes a person would twitch him on he collar of his coat behind,
while another plucked his button-hole before; and it seemed, too,
that he was actually weighing the two separate appeals of his mind at once ..."

Daily National Intelligencer, (Washington, DC) Friday, September 19,
1823; Issue 3332; col C.

Taking someone by the button-hole by button-hole seizers becomes
frequent around 1836.
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(5)  "button-hole talk"

"Here is whispering---dodging across the hall, button-hole talk, &c."

The Daily Atlas, (Boston, MA) Monday, October 23, 1843; Issue 97; col G
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Joel

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