Antedating of "Tear Gas"

Shapiro, Fred fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Sat Oct 19 01:59:11 UTC 2013


tear gas (OED 1917)

1916 _2/1st South Wales Mounted Brigade Revue_ July 1 (Trench Journals and Unit Magazines of the First World War)  Caution must be exercised not to plant the Onions in proximity to the potatoes, as Tear Gas Goggles are not available for the eyes of the latter.

1916 _The Wit: The Organ of the R.A.M.C. Training Centre, Ripon_ 1 Sept. 6 (Trench Journals and Unit Magazines of the First World War)  This gas they sent over in shells; another gas we have been through is the tear gas.  It's awful stuff, yet pleasant to smell, it made my eyes smart, water and ache, until I could hardly see.

Fred Shapiro

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