[Ads-l] Extraordinary Antedating of "Gaslight, v." by Jonathan Lighter

[Shapiro, Fred]

BELOW IS AN EMAIL I HAVE SENT TO MICHAEL PROFFITT, EDITOR OF THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY::


I am forwarding to you an extraordinary antedating of the verb "gaslight" (OED 1961), discovered by Jonathan Lighter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86MyEYdhJsY&list=PLF229F3F868693EB2&index=2

1953 "I Married Joan" (NBC television program) 18 Feb. [episode titled "Draft Board," 1:03 in video linked to above]

Now here's the plan.  We'll gaslight 'em. ... You saw that picture "Gaslight," remember, where they made the woman think she was crazy and she really wasn't ?


Fred Shapiro



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