[Ads-l] Antedating of "Kleptomaniac"
Shapiro, Fred
fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Mon Feb 1 16:07:37 UTC 2016
kleptomaniac (OED 1861)
1850 _United States Monthly Law Magazine_ Jan. 14 (HeinOnline) He simply obeys an "irresistible impulse," caused by a diseased condition of two square inches of his cerebrum; and instead of ejaculating, "Curse the thieving rascal!" it is your duty to exclaim, in a commiserating tone, "Poor, unfortunate cleptomaniac!"
Fred Shapiro
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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