[Ads-l] Antedating of "Main Man"

[mr_peter_morris@outlook.com]

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Century_Dictionary_The_Century_dicti/FovPjGlWDUEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22main+man%22&pg=PA3582&printsec=frontcover


Here's a dictionary copyright  1889, 1895 that quotes the following.

"Count Olivares is the Main man who sways all."
- Howell, Letters, I. iii. 11.

I Don't know who Howell is, or the date of the quoted letter.



------ Original Message ------
From "Shapiro, Fred" <00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Date 15/03/2026 11:30:28
Subject Antedating of "Main Man"

>main man (OED 1956)
>
>1931 Kansas City Call 9 Jan. (ProQuest)  Parsons team has been weakened considerably by the loss of some of the main men through graduation.
>
>1937 New York Amsterdam News 2 Jan. 14 (ProQuest)  Despite Joe's [Joe Louis] amazing defeat at the hands of Max Schmeling he remained the main man in boxing.
>
>Fred Shapiro
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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