max, you've outdone yourself! a self-YART no less!!

Not so! I know that I mentioned that point in another thread. It's just that my information was second hand, and I had not been able to verify it. When first I mentioned it, I received neither confirmation nor denial of the accuracy of my information. Thus, when Father Steve mentioned that he had Johnson's work, it seemed an ideal opportunity to extract the datum directly from the cliched equine's oral cavity, as it were. Perhaps if I sold a kidney, I might be able to afford a down payment on the OED, but until then I shall have to make do with leeching from the learned. Try multiplying 550 by 2.23, and you may appreciate why the annual fee for access to the OED online is not so attractive in NZD. That's why I am very grateful for those who do have such resources available, especially when they are tolerant of incorrigible YARTists.