The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and Linguist David Robinson Mistaken on Earliest Reference to the Word "Boo!"

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On October 30, 2014, Jack Crone published an article in the Daily Mail entitled "Spooky mystery solved at last: Linguists reveal the word 'boo' comes from Scotland where it was first used to scare children in the 18th century." Crone claims concerning the word "Boo!" that "Its first recorded use comes in the Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence Display'd, written by Gilbert Crokatt and John Monroe under the pseudonym of Jacob Curate in 1738." Crone gives the impression that he got his information from "David Robinson, a linguist from Glasgow University."

The Oxford English Dictionary's "Draft Additions of 2008" cites the same work for their first reference to Boo, but in an edition published 20 years earlier (1718). Both the 1718 and the 1738 editions of Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence are later ones, and therefore both dates are incorrect in terms of the time of the first reference.


The OED "Draft Additions of 2008" on "Boo!"


The original edition of Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence was published in 1692 in London for Randal Taylor, and it contained the passage in later 1718 and 1738 editions describing "Boo!" in section III, page 106:

Mr. William Stuart preaching lately in Forres upon these words, Our God is a consuming fire, said,

Sirs, I will explain these words in a very homely manner, There was a Godly man of my acquaintance, Sirs, he had a young Bairn that was dying, and he comes to him and said, Sandy, now my Cockie, believe in God now, for ye will not live long: No, no, said the Bairn, I will not believe in God, for God is a Boo, but I will believe in Christ, for he is sweet, Dady, and he is good. Now ye may by this see, Sirs, that God without Christ is a Boo.

            Boo is a word that's used in the North of Scotland to frighten crying  Children.

WorldCat reports 78 editions of Scotch Presbyterian Eloquence published between 1692 and 1870.

A minor point but perhaps worth noting.

________ 
UPDATE:

Received an email (May 14, 2017) from Anthony Esposito, an OED editor ,indicating that the entry on Boo has been scheduled for revision. 

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