Do you have an earlier record of a word which our editors are currently researching? Please submit your evidence in the comments. something for the weekend earlier than 1972
Traditionally, a British man on a visit to his barber might be asked if he wants ‘something for the weekend’; in other words, if he would like to buy a condom in addition to his haircut.
Posted by OED_Editor on 15 May 2013 13.04
Tags: British, slang
Meanderings of Memory unknown source
A number of quotations in the OED derive from a book with the title ‘Meanderings of Memory’. However, we have been unable to trace this title in library catalogues or text databases.
Posted by OED_Editor on 3 May 2013 12.59
Comments: 26
Long Island iced tea before 1981
The creation of this potent cocktail is widely attributed to bartender Robert C. Butt, who entered the recipe in a contest at the Oak Beach Inn nightclub on Long Island, New York, in the early 1970s, according to [...]
Posted by OED_Editor on 25 April 2013 10.01
Tags: 1980s, Food & Drink, North American
Comments: 3
mullet earlier than 1994
The OED defines mullet as ‘A hairstyle, worn esp. by men, in which the hair is cut short at the front and sides, and left long at the back.’ It was certainly [...]
Posted by OED_Editor on 22 April 2013 13.30
Tags: North American
Comments: 1
luvvie earlier than 1988
In British use, luvvie is a humorously depreciative term for an actor, especially one regarded as effusive or affected. The reference is to a stereotype of thespians habitually addressing people as ‘lovey’. When the OED revised its entry for lovey in 2008, this sense, which had by then become established in the variant spelling luvvie, was [...]
Posted by OED_Editor on 12 April 2013 12.30
Tags: 1980s, British, Theatre
Comments: 10
demon bowler earlier than 1861
In Cricket, an exceptionally fast or skilful bowler is sometimes called a ‘demon bowler’. That epithet is now especially associated with [...]
Posted by OED_Editor on 28 March 2013 12.32
Tags: 1860s, Cricket, Sport
Comments: 2
bromance earlier than 2004
‘Hugo’ has provided evidence from 2001 which has now been verified in print.
‘Bromance’ refers to an affectionate but non-sexual relationship between two men and OED editors are currently researching the term [...]
Posted by OED_Editor on 22 March 2013 14.53
Tags: 2000s, North American
Comments: 7
superpipe earlier than 1998
In snowboarding or freestyle skiing a superpipe is a large halfpipe with high walls, with boarders or skiiers performing tricks on alternate sides of the pipe as they travel down it. This sense of [...]
Posted by OED_Editor on 13 March 2013 8.08
Tags: 1990s, Sport
Comments: 11
the Company earlier than 1966
In 1989, when the OED first entered the expression ‘the Company’ as a name for the Central Intelligence Agency, the earliest evidence we had was from a 1967 slang dictionary. Research has since turned up [...]
Posted by OED_Editor on 6 March 2013 14.01
Tags: 1960s, government, North American
Comments: 8