verb. (old colloquial).—1. To puzzle; and (2) to posture, to pretend, to feign. [Sense 1 has been chiefly influenced by the scholastic M.E. posen (Promptorium Parvulorum) = to examine, whence to puzzle; whilst sense 2 owes more to posture, which again is from the same Latin root.] Whence POSER (1) = an unanswerable question or argument; and (2) an impostor, a pretender: also TO PUT A POSER. Also (3) POSER [APPOSER, OPPOSER or OPPOSITOR] (old) = a bishop’s examining chaplain; (in modern schools) = an examiner—at Eton for King’s College, and at Winchester for New College scholarships and exhibitions.
1387. TREVISA, Higden, iv. 291. Þe childe Iesus was i-found in þe temple sittynge and APPOSYNGE þe doctours.
1574. QUEEN ELIZABETH, Endorsement on Recommendation of Candidates for College Election, 8 May. To our trustie and welbeloved, the wardens of the new Colledges in Oxford and nere Winchester and others of them and to the OPPOSITORS and others having interest in the election of scollers.
1577–87. W. HARRISON, The Description of England, I. II. iii. 84. In those [Windsor, Wincester, Eaton, Westminster schools] … the triall is made by certeine APPOSERS yearlie appointed to examine them.
1603. BACON, Essays, ‘Of Discourse’ [1887]. Let his questions not be troublesome, for that is fit for a POSER.
1662. FULLER, Worthies, Norfolk, II. 462. The university [of Cambridge] … appointed Dr. Cranmer … to be POSER-general of all candidates in Divinity.
1647–8. JOSEPH BEAUMONT, Psyche, i. 110.
| I still am POS’D about the case, | |
| But wiser you shall judge. |
1662. DONNE, Satires [1819]. A thing which would have POS’D Adam to name.
1807. CRABBE, The Parish Register [Works (1823)], i. 62.
| Then by what name th’ unwelcome guest to call | |
| Was long a question, and it POSED them all. |
1820. LAMB, The Essays of Elia, ‘The South-Sea House.’ A sucking babe may have POSED him.
1838. W. DIMOND, Stage Struck, sc. 1. Tom. My own aunt by the mother’s side—but how to find her out will be a POSER, for we never could learn the name of the great man she caught.
1867. W. L. COLLINS, The Public Schools, 61. ‘Winchester.’ Two … ‘POSERS’ (or at one time ‘supervisors’) arrive at the college, where they are received with a Latin oration ‘ad portas’ by the senior scholar.
1872. C. D. WARNER, Backlog Studies, 161. ‘What do you think women are good for?’ ‘That’s a POSER!’
