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

[Jonathan Lighter]

Thanks, Fred.

JL

On Tue, Jun 3, 2025 at 8:29 AM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:

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


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