A series of explorations into the earliest uses of various English words and phrases.
war of nerves
Most dictionaries define “war of nerves” as the use of psychological means to undermine or wear...
dangerous age
The term “a dangerous age” is used most often to refer to the susceptibility to ideas,...
first responder
At the Brookline (MA) Historical Society, which I’ve led as a volunteer since 2009, we received...
monkey’s uncle
The Wikipedia entry for “Monkey’s Uncle,” before I edited it, stated that “The phrase has been...
