[Ads-l] ANTEDATING OF "SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY"

[Ben Zimmer]

Slightly earlier:

Fraser's Magazine, Feb. 1841, p. 130, col. 1
We say, let the _idea of what we want_ penetrate our rulers and our
people, and it will be _a self-fulfilling prophecy of what we shall
have._
https://books.google.com/books?id=CefUAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA130

On Mon, Feb 1, 2016 at 9:37 AM, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
>
> self-fulfilling prophecy (OED 1949)
>
> 1842 _Provincial Medical Journal_ 29 Oct. 84 (JSTOR)  Thus, suppose a case
> where there was a strong probability that death would ensue, were we to
> announce that probability in the patient's hearing, the effect produced on his
> mind may convert probability into reality; the teacher's words may become
> a self-fulfilling prophecy, and he become the agent of the patient's death.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org