Improbable trivia

Posted on September 3, 2004 by acb

I invite you to guess — it’s impossible that even Louise should know — which 19th century authority is quoted 157 times in the OED. Among the words partially defined by her usage are “Celtic”, “darling”, “deodar”, “pelt”, “photo”, and “Sodom”.

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6 Responses to Improbable trivia

  1. el Patron says:
    September 3, 2004 at 9:24 pm

    Oh — and “autograph”. Of “Sodom” by the way, she wrote, It was intended he should come home through Paris stopping only a day in order to have got over his visit to that Sodom and Gomorrah.

  2. Louise says:
    September 4, 2004 at 10:50 pm

    I’m sure I’m totally wrong but I can’t resist a challenge – my guess is Madame Blavatsky.

  3. arnold says:
    September 4, 2004 at 11:23 pm

    Some trashy novelist? e.g. Marie Corelli?

  4. el Patron says:
    September 5, 2004 at 8:40 am

    Not Marie Corelli; not Madame Blavatsky. It is a broad hint to say that she has taught me a number of Scottish words — among them a tremendous term for a noisy dog fight: “Collieshangie” — but also used as English, the words J

  5. arnold says:
    September 6, 2004 at 12:54 am

    In that case it’s got to be Queen Victoria.

  6. el Patron says:
    September 6, 2004 at 8:55 am

    Yes. Obvious, but still improbable.

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