[Ads-l] Some early British uses of "irregardless" (1847-1861)

[Bonnie Taylor-Blake]

Merriam-Webster's Twitter account (@MerriamWebster) has been bombarded with
complaints about the dictionary's recognition of "irregardless," with the
usual declaration that it's not a word, etc. (In fairness, Merriam-Webster
has also garnered praise for its take on the word and its usage.) The
Guardian's response [1], in which it consulted <checks notes> journalists
on "irregardless" hints that the word is "Chiefly North American" (as the
OED notes).

Since we last looked at early appearances of "irregardless," we had found
an 1795 usage in Charleston, South Carolina and then a handful from ca.
1860 onward from other parts of the United States.

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2007-May/069739.html

(I'd be happy to know if someone else has revisited this on the ADS-L since
then.)

Given the word's general association with American English, I was somewhat
surprised to see "irregardless" in several British newspapers between 1847
and 1860-ish. (BTW, I have since noticed that Pascal Tréguer included the
1847 and 1849 citations, below, in a blog post back in March, 2018:
https://wordhistories.net/2018/03/23/irregardless-meaning-origin/)

In any event, far below are some sightings of "irregardless" to fill the
gap in usages between 1795 and ca. 1860. I've especially focused on British
appearances, though I've also thrown in two from the States, just to
demonstrate geographical range within the country. Words within asterisks
indicate italics in the original texts.

-- Bonnie

[1]
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jul/06/is-irregardless-a-real-word-dictionary

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He was quite willing to go forward as the corrector of those abuses which
really did exist, and the removal of which would be beneficial to the
interests of the country, but he was decidedly opposed to those ill-advised
and useless innovations, brought forward irregardless of the dangers and
injuries they might inflict on the country. (Column 1, The Morning Post
[London], 30 July 1847, p. 3.)

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Or is it because the bloodhound spirit of an *office-seeker* will track any
victim so that he can but secure the *spoils* irregardless of any
incumbent, however faithful, honest, or competent he be? (Letter signed by
"An Old-Fashioned Whig," The Washington Union, 13 July 1849, p. 2.)

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On his way to London to his resident at Smitham Bottom, beyond Creydon
[sic], he called on a friend at Croydon, and notwithstanding the torrents
of rain he determined to drive home, irregardless of his friend's
entreaties to stop for the night. (Under "Accidents," The Observer
[London], 18 July 1853, p. 7.)

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His course in the last Congress is cordially endorsed not only by his party
but by many among the ranks of the opposition -- such as are disposed to be
governed by compacts and compromises mutually agreed upon for the future
prosperity and stability of the Government, irregardless of their bearing
in advancing or detracting from the chances of Presidential aspirants.
(Under "Hon. T.G. Hunt," The Thibodaux [Louisiana] Minerva, 16 September
1854, p. 2.)

----------------------

To use a homely phrase, the *Times* knows "which side the bread is
buttered;" and it distinguishes itself from any of its contemporaries by
playing the winning game, irregardless of principle, and spices its
sycophancy with sufficient censoriousness to make it palatable. (Column 3,
The [Ryde] Isle of Wight Observer, 9 February 1861, p. 2.)

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