[Ads-l] antedating of optics, n., OED sense 2

[James Eric Lawson]

Antedating of 'optics', noun sense 2; 1973 in OEDO (updated June 2004,
modified March, 2022): "Originally North American. The way in which a
situation, event, or course of action is perceived by the public.
Frequently in political contexts."

Excerpt: The author of this pamphlet appears to be one of those writers
who pretend to great penetration into futurity, in which they affect to
discover dreadful misfortunes that must inevitably befall the British
arms, in the present contest with the colonies. It is time only that can
confirm or fully refute such predictions; and we shall therefore make no
other remark, but that they seem not to be very consistent with the laws
of political optics.

Source: A review of a pamphlet titled "A Prospect of the Consequences of
the present Conduct of Great Britain towards America" in the May 1776
issue of _The Critical review: or, Annals of literature_, p 399.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433066596663&view=1up&seq=417&skin=2021&q1=political%20optics

Note: Occasional instances of the "political optics" metaphor continue
to appear in the literature of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Sense
development does not entirely comport with the OEDO definition, which
perhaps should be supplemented or revised in light of the historical
record.

-- 
James Eric Lawson

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