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Guinea pig history

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ajb

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This is the earliest interesting reference to guinea pigs I have found in google books (there are some earlier ones, but mostly just dictionary entries):
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From "Scrapeana; fugitive miscellany", by John Croft, published 1792.
 
Those poor piggies probably got a matching ribbon for each dress! rolleyes
 
This is the first quotation in the big Oxford English Dictionary under guinea pig: '1664 POWER Exp. Philos. I. 16 You may see them [Cheese Mites]..like so many Ginny-Pigs, munching and chewing the ***.' (Henry Power, Experimental Philosophy).

The 2nd quotation is from 1673 and refers to, er, unusual types of food.

The first reference to them as pets is from 1713: '1713 STEELE Guardian No. 106. 4 These were driven off at last by a Lap-dog, who was succeeded by a Guiney pig.'

Looks as if they were engaged with small dogs in a battle for lap time throughout the 18th century.

Where would you put the ribbons?
 
For some reason, the word for what cows chew, which rhymes with 'mud' was replaced with '***' there - what kind of weird editing software is that?
 
PS: There is a picture in the Compton Verney gallery (Warwickshire) that shows a still life with guinea pig - not a very piggy-like piggy, but showing that they were all the rage at that time and special enough to be included as a object of interest. Sadly, they don't have a pic of it online!
 
I'm sure the forum software disallows short-hands as well as profanities. And what a cow chews is a(nother) short hand for "could"
 
'There is a picture in the Compton Verney gallery (Warwickshire) that shows a still life with guinea pig.'

We've a postcard of that painting on our fridge door!

'And what a cow chews is a(nother) short hand for "could".'

You live and learn.
 
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