#john farmer

What Is The Origin Of (228)?…

First dibs

Watching children playing, they seem to be forever squabbling over who should have first go. Perhaps it is a vestige of an innate survival instinct. And there seems to be a special vocabulary that they use; “bags I go first” or “let me have first dibs.” It is the latter which will be the subject of this etymological enquiry.

The starting point is, not unsurprisingly, a game played by…

(17) Fair Phyllis I saw sitting all alone — John Farmer

This map of Detroit available in the Library of Congress collections and appears to specifically call out the subdivisions of the Military Reserve (land), Brush Farm, John R. Williams holdings, and those of a Peter Berthlet. It is unclear what Act of Congress necessitated the creation of this map by the District Surveyor, John Farmer. Amy Elliott Bragg has a nice write-up on The Night Train blog…