Fun with phrases: "in a previous life"

[Charles C Doyle]

Samuel Hopkins Adams, "Invaded America," _Everybody's Magazine_ 38, no. 2 (Feb. 1918): 30:

"Credit . . . is largely due to A. R. Rogers, the chairman.  In a previous existence, Mr. Rogers was at the head of a great lumber company . . . ."

--Charlie

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From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Victor Steinbok [aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 1:28 PM
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The expression "that's another life" is quite common in reference to an
earlier stage in one's life, usually characterized by a different
location, profession or employment, but occasionally also referring to
just earlier stages, such college or school years, or periods marked by
a cataclysmic event, such as a family member's death, divorce, etc.

Eleanor Rosch used to refer to earlier stages in her career as "previous
lives", as the directions of her research changed rather drastically
between those stages. This is particularly ironic, given her 1990s stage
that involved a Buddhist take on cognitive science.

     VS-)

On 7/16/2012 1:11 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> This means "at an earlier time in one's life."  My wife has been using this
> since at least the early '90s, if not the late '80s..
>
> A TV weatherman explained today that "in a previous life," about fifteen
> years ago, he owned a small farm.
>
> The earliest I can find in GB:
>
> 1993 in _H.R. 3600, The Health Security Act_ (Washington, D.C.: USGPO,
> 1994) IV 212 (GB snippet, looks real): MR. CONDRON: In a previous life I
> was a congressional aide to your late colleague and a great man, Silvio
> Conte of Massachusetts.
>
> 2000 Jay Hopkins in _Flying_  (July) 59: In a previous life, I served as a
> school consultant for the Onondaga Council on Alcoholism in New York.
>
> JL

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