Quotable quotes

Some thoughts from the OED and its files on...

...terrorizing the neighbours...
1814 P. Hawker Diary (1893) Mr. Cudmore petrified the whole neighbourhood with his astonishing pianoforte playing.

...a desirable post...
1884 N.E.D s.v. Abbreviator, An officer in the court of Rome, appointed as assistant to the vice-chancellor for drawing up the pope's briefs.

...fastidiousness in the Upper House...
1909 Daily Chron. 14 Sept., The Anti-Sweating Bill passed through Committee in the Lords yesterday.

...and a Freudian slip...
1987 Economist 23 May, Mutations consist mainly of small changes in the sequence of letters on the DNA of genes. Like misprints in text, they generally change the meankng [sic] of a word to something foolish.