Really.
1718. Some of them indeed are so very officious in the Affairs of other People, when they find an Opportunity of doing a real good Office, that they have many Times neglected themselves to serve others.—J. Fox, ‘The Wanderer,’ No. 17, 116. (N.E.D.)
1827. The Yankee will say of a young lady, “She is a real pretty girl, but she is as homely as a basket of chips.”—Mass. Spy, Nov. 28: from the Berkshire American.
1840. We have dry goods merchants in Missouri, whose store a real strong man could run a stick through, and hang over his shoulder, and walk off with.—Mr. Benton in the U.S. Senate, Jan. 16: Cong. Globe, p. 123, App.
1846. A real good horse. [For full quotation see YANKEE.]
1848. [One girl] thought me real mean for uttering such sentiments.—Dow, Jun., ‘Patent Sermons,’ i. 147.
1851. We once overheard her tell No. 1 that she was “real sick of her.”—T. B. Gunn, ‘New York Boarding-houses,’ p. 108.
1872. It [the baby] died this morning. It was only real sick for two or three days.—J. M. Bailey, ‘Folks in Danbury,’ p. 9.
1878. We had a real good sermon to-day, didn’t we? I call that a most an excellent sermon; but ’twan’t real perfect; of course, there ain’t nothin’ human that is.—Rose T. Cooke, ‘Happy Dodd,’ chap. vii.
1878. He got real obstopolous one day.—Id., ch. xv.
1878. I didn’t feel real cherk this week, so’t I didn’t go to sewin’ s’ciety, and seems as if I didn’t reelly know a thing.—Id., chap. xxvii.
1908. They sung out the same hymn-book, and looked real happy.—Eliza C. Hall, ‘Aunt Jane of Kentucky,’ p. 147–8.
