Words at Play : 10 Words That Are Older Than You Might Think
Earliest Known Usage:
1787
Example:
"I shall be most glad of my Lords arrival if it were only for the raps you promise me." – Joseph Ritson, Letters to Rowntree, 1787
About the Word:
Rap is a word with a wide variety of meanings. There is no doubt that the word began to be used to describe a musical form originating in African-American communities in the late 1970s, and it was also in colloquial use to refer to a pitch or spiel (as in "he's got a good rap") in the 1950s. But rap has also been in use since 1787 (possibly as a shortened alteration of the word repartee) to refer simply to conversation or talk.
Photo credit: thecomeupshow / flickr
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