ppl. a. [f. CONCERN v.]
1. Affected, interested, involved; troubled, vexed, anxious; showing concern.
1656. Cowley, Davideis, III. 766. With concern’d haste her thoughtful Looks she rais’d.
1672. Sir T. Browne, Lett. Friend, xxii. (1881), 142. To see the heirs and concerned relations gratulating themselves.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 504, ¶ 4. Taking him aside with a grave concerned countenance.
1802. Mar. Edgeworth, Moral T. (1816), I. xv. 128. He was greatly concerned.
1832. Southey, Hist. Penins. War, III. 877. The more concerned spectators were not without fear.
b. Used absol., and hence formerly with pl.
1755. Magens, Insurances, I. 60. An Instance … wherein the Concerned agreed that the Goods … should be rated at first Cost. Ibid., I. 236. Arbitrators were fixed upon … Mr. N. M. for the Concerneds in the Prize.
2. Concerned with (in) drink or liquor: having had too much to do with it; the worse for liquor; also simply concerned. Now vulgar or dial. (Cf. CONCERN v. 11 b.)
1687. Magd. Coll. & Jas. II. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), 71. Mr. Anthony Turner came to ‘the Lobster’ about eleven at night … much concerned in drink.
1723. Swift, Cook-maid’s Lett. Drunk or sober … Not that … his reverence was ever concern’d to my knowledge.
1731. Wentworth Papers, 3 Aug. (1883), 472. I had made a full resolution never to be concern’d in liquor again.
1752. E. Murray, in Scots Mag., Aug. (1753), 392/2. He thought the pannel was a little concerned with drink.
1834. Sir H. Taylor, Artevelde, II. iii. 3 (D.). She’s a light-skirts! yea, and at this present A little, as you see, concerned with liquor.
1875. Parish, Sussex Dial., 30. Concerned in Liquor … one of the many expressions used in Sussex to avoid the word ‘drunk.’
3. U. S. slang. Confounded, deuced. Also adv.
1848–60. in Bartlett.
