infra dig. (1800, 1812, 1814, 1815, 1820, 1822)

[Stephen Goranson]

OED has [1822] and 1824. (I have not checked Green's.) Among the available hits:
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Monthly magazine or British register [London], Volume IX no. LXI, July 20, 1800, p. 636  col. 2

It would perhaps be considered as a little _infra dig._ by the profession, or we should recommend to those many village surgeons, who slave and toil from morning till night, and ride half over the country for a few shillings, to offer their medical and physiological skill to the farmers in their neighborhood...

http://books.google.com/books?id=eC4AAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA636&dq=%22infra+dig%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=X63DT7jVIYGk8gTpoOiPCw&ved=0CF4Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22infra%20dig%22&f=false
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The Antijacobin review and true churchman's magazine [London], March, 1812 p. 285

But to be serious, Mr. Editor, is it not a little infra dig to admit such contemptible jargon as is contained in the hitter of the O. C. into your learned pages ? He gives a specimen of the sermon he would compose from the text, ...

http://books.google.com/books?id=WgPWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA285&dq=%22infra+dig%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sLLDT5a_II2Q8wTS-dWYCw&ved=0CG4Q6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=%22infra%20dig%22&f=false


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The Examiner. No. 326. March 27, 1814 p. 203 col. 2

... we were beginning to suspect that the subject, to use a familiar phrase, was infra dig., besides a pretty good conviction that it was really a work of supererogation ; and though, in playing with the lighter weapons of much greater ...

http://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=%22infra+dig%22&tbs=,cdr:1,cd_max:Dec+31_2+1822&num=10

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General view of the agriculture and domestic economy of South Wales
 By Walter Davies, Board of Agriculture (Great Britain) vol. 2 1815 p. 324

Before the commencement of planting, there should be made, by some intelligent person, a list of all the cottages (suppose under 5l..) in every parish ; perhaps the Clergyman would not consider such a labour of love infra dig: ...

http://www.google.com/search?lr=lang_en&tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=%22infra+dig%22&tbs=,cdr:1,cd_min:Jan+1_2+1788,cd_max:Dec+31_2+1821&num=10
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The British Critic, Feb. 1815 p. 187
...subject however (p.36) (rather infra dig. for persons elevated to Patriarchates? and Apostleships) to the inspection of the Chief Officer of the Establishment in India." Such is the abstract statement of our authors plan, to which we should do but partial ......
http://books.google.com/books?id=8uPQAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA187&dq=rather+infra+dig.+for+persons+elevated&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZbPDT8aUKoO69QSpwYiwCw&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=rather%20infra%20dig.%20for%20persons%20elevated&f=false
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The Literary gazette: A weekly journal of literature, science, and ..., June 3, 1820 p, 366 col. 1

The language is not poetry — the incidents are not affecting' — the manners are not Human ; altogether it is sadly infra dig. The author, a Mr. Barlow, we hear, has succeeded in parodying many passages of preceding dramatists; ...

http://books.google.com/books?id=44dHAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA365&dq=altogether+it+is+sadly+infra+dig.+The+author,&hl=en&sa=X&ei=47PDT_nqI4am8gSgtezLCw&sqi=2&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=altogether%20it%20is%20sadly%20infra%20dig.%20The%20author%2C&f=false

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Isn't it odd? /
Marmaduke Merrywhistle
1822
English Book Book : Fiction 3 v. : ill. ; 20 cm.
London : Printed for G. and W.B. Whittaker, \vol. 1 page 22.


....hence he obtained the _cognomen_ of the _merry whistler_; but the _final_ R was _dropped_ by a very proud and _more_ dignified descendant of _his_, who thought the name as it stood might imply that _he_ was a _whistler_; and he considered _whistling_ completely _infra dig._ and calculated to lessen the respect his rank demanded....

Marmaduke Merrywhistle
1822
English Book Book : Fiction 3 v. : ill. ; 20 cm.
London : Printed for G. and W.B. Whittaker, \vol. 1 page 22.


http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuo.ark%3A%2F13960%2Ft19k4wg1r;view=image;seq=36;q1=%22infra%20dig.%22;start=1;size=10;page=search;num=22

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

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