Fun with phrases: "in a previous life" (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

_Hartford Courant_ Aug 20 1978 p 2C col 6

"The Baltimore Orioles in a previous life also shuffled in and out of
Milwaukee."


_Philadelphia Inquirer_ Feb 2 1981 p B01
"Archibald - who, in a previous life, led the West All-Stars in scoring
twice - scored only nine points, the lowest ever for an All-Star MVP
(Bob Cousy's 10 in 1957 was the low)."

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
Behalf Of
> Jonathan Lighter
> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2012 12:11 PM
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> Subject: Fun with phrases: "in a previous life"
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
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> -
>
> 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
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
truth."
>
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