Antedating of "Brassiere"

[Stephen Goranson]

Related:

July 16, 1859 The Spectator p. 735 col. 1:

....a new corset, which supports without the aid of elastics or busk. These corsets-brassiers are quite original, invented and patented by Madame Vigourous.

http://books.google.com/books?id=XtUhAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA735&dq=brassiere+lace&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0RExT_-vH4Wbtwf7t4D0Bg&ved=0CFQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=corsets&f=false

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson


________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Shapiro, Fred [fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU]
Sent: Monday, February 06, 2012 7:43 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: [ADS-L] Antedating of "Brassiere"

brassiere (OED 1911)

1862 _Observer_ 2 Feb. 6 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)  For young girls, the ceinture brassiere [accent grave over first "e"] is very pretty and becoming: it is a berthe [last letter is not very legible], formed by a ribbon, edged with lace, which crosses in front, and is tied behind, being fastened on the shoulders by a bow without ends.

Fred Shapiro

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