Date:  Sun, 10 Mar 1996 20:10:32 -0600

From:  Dan Goodman <dsg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MAROON.TC.UMN.EDU>

Subject: % Source of Quote: Been There ... Done That (fwd)



---------- Forwarded message ----------

Date: Sun, 10 Mar 1996 20:31:53 +0000 (GMT)

From: John Rickard <jrr[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]atml.co.uk>

To: stumpers <stumpers-list[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CRF.CUIS.EDU>

Subject: % Source of Quote: Been There ... Done That



Fred Shapiro <fred.shapiro[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]yale.edu> wrote:



> >    We have a patron who is looking for the origins of this rather

> > too often used phrase. Does anyone claim to be the first person to have

> > said, "Been there ... done that.

>

> The earliest citation I have for this phrase is from Sports Illustrated,

> 9 Feb. 1987: "Conner, as the Aussies say, has 'been there, done that.'"



I noticed in OED News (the on-line newsletter of the Oxford English

Dictionary) issue 3, January 1996, that "been there, done that" was

one of the words and phrases on their appeals list for earlier

citations; it seems that the earliest they had was 1991.



So they may be grateful if you send your Sports Illustrated quotation

to oed3[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]oup.co.uk. (If you think that the OED deserves unpaid help

from the public!)



These newsletters, which can be found at

<http://www1.oup.co.uk/oup/ar/oed/newoed?>, are excellent reading for

anyone with any interest in dictionaries.



--

John Rickard