[Ads-l] Further Antedating of "Mad Scientist"

[Jesse Sheidlower]

Thanks, Fred. Now added to HDSF.

I note that the 1883 citation that had been the earliest in HDSF was also submitted by one Fred Shapiro.

Jesse Sheidlower

On Sun, Aug 02, 2026 at 05:31:04PM +0000, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
> mad scientist (OED 1893, Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction 1883)
> 
> 1871 Daily Patriot (Washington, DC) 21 Aug. 2/3 (Newspapers.com)
> 
> We find twenty mad scientists airing their crotchets of differential expansion, strength in weakness, and the like.  This is not testimony of experts at all, but vagary of eccentrics.
> 
> Fred Shapiro
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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