Antedating of "Persnickety"

[Shapiro, Fred]

The OED's first use of "persnickety" is dated 1892.  Evan Kirshenbaum has posted this antedating (from Google Books) on alt.usage.english:

    "'Now, Mally, gal,' he said, 'I jes' seem to know how bad you want suthin' to do, an' I know thet you an' them sisters of yourn air jes' that persnickety 'bout your own clo'se--why, you allus look jes's if you'd stepped out a band-box....'"

                 S.E. Boggs, "Wash-Ladies", _Good Housekeeping_,
                 10/26/1889

Fred Shapiro

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