gallavanting antedated (?) to 1817

[Stephen Goranson]

Thanks, Garson. Here's an 1809 use of gallivant.

The Literary Panorama: Being a Review of Books, Magazine of Varieties and Annual Register...
Vol. V. London, Printed...for C. Taylor,1809. page 574, col, 2

Young Lobski said to his ugly wife,
"I'm off till to-morrow to fish, my life."
Says Mrs. Lobski, "I'm sure you a'nt'.
But you brute you are going to gallivant."

What Mrs. Lobski said was right;
Gay Mr. Lobski was out all night;
He ne'er went to fish, 'tis known very well,
But where he went I shall not tell....

Stephen
________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of Garson O'Toole [adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2012 4:56 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] gallavanting antedated (?) to 1817

Stephen: Thanks for an interesting citation for a fun word.

Here are three other cites that may be of interest. The first cite is
a list of "Devonshire and Cornwall Vocabulary" in 1810 that includes
"Galliganting". It is possible that "Galliganting" is a variant
spelling of "Gallivanting" or "Gallavanting", but a definition is not
given so I am not sure.

Cite: 1810 June 1, The Monthly Magazine, Devonshire and Cornwall
Vocabulary, Page 437, Column 1, Printed for Richard Phillips, London.
(Google Books full view)

http://books.google.com/books?id=7LQRAAAAYAAJ&q=gallivanting#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
Galliganting.   N. D.
[End excerpt]


Cite: 1810 September 24, The Rural Visiter, Article addressed to "Mr.
Rural Visiter", Quote Page 35, Column 2, Published by D. Allinson and
Co. and Printed at the Lexicon Press. (Google Books full view) (The
spelling of "Visiter" is deliberate)

http://books.google.com/books?id=U7wRAAAAYAAJ&q=gallivanting#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
And thus are my performances hawked about town, "Who wants to see what
is to be published in next number?" critisized on by the witlings,
seized without the form of a Habeas Corpus, condemned without benefit
of jury, and hanged without the administration of extreme unction:
which, by the bye, had I but the means of a man, I'd administer to you
in such a way, as wouldn't leave you quite so fresh: I should soon
cure you of your gallivanting and tantivying.
[End excerpt]


Cite: 1811, Rhydisel, the Devil in Oxford, In Two Volumes, Volume II,
Page 25, Printed for the Author; and Sold by Sherwood, Neely, and
Jones, London. (Author not shown in images; GB claims author is Andrew
Gregory Johnstone) (Google Books full view)

http://books.google.com/books?id=n34HAAAAQAAJ&q=gallivanting#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
Turn your eyes to the left a little, and you will see a man with a
large wart on his nose, fast asleep on his back: he has been
gallivanting with a young lady of great beauty all day, who affected
to be pleased with his attention, although now and then she cast a
distrustful glance at the excrescence on his proboscis.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 7:41 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      gallavanting antedated (?) to 1817
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> OED has 1823.
> The actress of the present day ...[3 volumes]
> 1817
> English Book Book : Fiction 3 v. 20 cm.
> London, Printed for J. Harper.
>
> vol. 3 p.  156
> ...."Umph!....'tis no wonder: if ladies will so forget themselves, and meet officers in disguise at a distance, and stay out with them _gallavanting_, they must take the consequence....
> ...."Lack-a-day!....and as for gallavanting with officers, 'tis no such thing....
>
> http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiuo.ark%3A%2F13960%2Ft6640711h;view=image;seq=164;q1=gallavanting;start=1;size=10;page=search;num=156
>
> Stephen Goranson
> http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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