Appeals list

Words or phrases which appear on the Appeals List are those currently being drafted or revised for the Oxford English Dictionary for which the documentary evidence is incomplete. Often these are slang or colloquial items which cannot be researched in specialist texts and are most likely to be turned up by a general reader in popular or non-specialized literature.

Usually the appeal is for an earlier example than our current earliest (e.g. 'antedate 1970' for a word for which our earliest example comes from 1970), but sometimes the appeal is for an interdating where there is a large gap in the OED's quotation evidence (e.g. 'interdate 1589-1910'). Occasionally we ask for a postdating (e.g. 'postdate 1875'), if an editor feels that an item being revised is still current but has failed to find any recent examples through the usual avenues of research.

Words or phrases on the Appeals List with multiple senses are followed by a short definition specifying the sense sought.

If you can help with any of these appeals, please send information to oed3@oup.co.uk.

Belle Epoque (turn-of-century France):

antedate 1960

manpower v. (to provide or run (a business, project, factory, etc.) with human labour):

antedate 1991

mare n. (colloq., = nightmare, bad experience):

antedate 1996

market-ripe (regional, ready for marriage):

postdate 1891

manual a. (of the gearbox/transmission of a car):

antedate 1962

M/F, m/f (abbrev. male/female):

antedate 1976

schneid (short for schneider):

in Cards antedate 1967, in Sport antedate 1971

unsung hero(ine):

antedate 1934

Many thanks to all those who contributed responses to the last Appeals List!