credoquaabsurdum wrote:
> Chris Croughton wrote:
>>> usen't (colloquial shortening of use not)
>>>
>>> c1863 T. TAYLOR in M. R. Booth Eng. Plays of 19th Cent. (1969)
II.
>>> 96, I usen't to mind unkind looks and words much once. 1907 G. B.
>>> SHAW Major Barbara III. 255 That is a new accomplishment of
>>> Andrew's, by the way. He usent to drink. 1929 'H. H. RICHARDSON'
>>> Ultima Thule III.
>>
>> Is the apostrophe missing in the original?
>
> Lemme check on that one, Chris...
>
> Both the apostrophe and the space are missing in the Shaw citation
on
> the OED page. Bingo.
>
> Now let's look around and find that particular comedy...voila!
>
> http://www.online-literature.com/view.php/major_barbara
>
> LADY BRITOMART. It was much more excusable to marry him than to
> get drunk with him. That is a new accomplishment of Andrew's, by
> the way. He usen't to drink.
>
> ...apostrophe firmly in place. I would bet, however, that this is
not
> a typo on behalf of OED staff, but that they scanned the original
> printing and that's how it first appeared. A Google search turned
up
> news of a critical edition of Major Barbara, but from what I
> understand, OED policy in that case is still to scan the first
edition
> (be it UK or US) into their database.
I don't think they "scan". For good or ill. Are you in a position to
correct me on this point?
--
Mike.
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