[Ads-l] Antedating of "Goundhog Day"

[Shapiro, Fred]

Groundhog Day (OED 1865)

1852 Lebanon (Pa.) Courier 13 Feb. 2/5 (Newspapers.com)  The Johnstown Mountain Echo, of the 3d inst., says: The 2d of February is known to our natives of the mountains by the not very euphonious name of ground-hog day. ... On that day the ground-hog emerges from its hole, and if it gets a glimpse of its shadow it will return immediately, and remain for six weeks, as the weather for that apace of time will be extremely hard and severe.

Fred Shapiro

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