Appeals list

Since it is some years since we first published our Appeals List, a number of readers have asked for a reminder in full of what it represents.

Words or phrases which appear on the Appeals List are those currently being drafted or revised for which the documentary evidence is lacking in some way.

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., 'pre-1970' for a word for which our earliest example is 1970), but sometimes the appeal is for an interdating where there is a large gap in the OED's quotation paragraph (e.g., 'interdate 1589-1910'). Occasionally we ask for a postdating (e.g., 'post-1875'), if an editor feels that an item being revised is still current but has failed to turn up recent examples through the usual avenues of research.

Items on the Appeals List for words or phrases with multiple senses are followed by a short definition specifying the sense sought (other senses of the same word are usually already well documented in our files or on our databases, and do not require further evidence).

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

asteroid field:

antedate 1980

bachelor pad:

antedate 1976

back-to-back adv. phr. (of parallel testing of two or more comparable items, esp. cars):

antedate 1983

curvy a. (of woman or woman's figure):

antedate 1961

donor fatigue:

antedate 1984

fell off (the back of) a lorry/truck:

antedate 1973

the full monty:

any evidence (esp. pre-1986)

full-on adj. and adv. (all-out, unrestrained):

pre-1985 evidence in context

to give someone one (= sex):

antedate 1984

joined-up writing/handwriting:

antedate 1983

made up (Liverpool, = happy):

any evidence

mouth almighty:

any evidence

nul points:

any evidence

politicking vbl. n.:

pre-1928

sulphate v. intr. (to become sulphated):

interdate 1898-1982

termiting n. (the extraction of termites for food):

any examples

tipitiwitchet, tippitiwitchet, etc. (US = Venus fly-trap):

interdate 1763-1940

to watch one's (or someone's) back:

antedate 1974