die-hardadj.n.

1922 Weekly Dispatch 5 Nov. 1/1 The splitting away of the great masses of the Conservative Party—of the Die-hard section.

1923 E. A. Ross Russ. Soviet Republic 395 The die-hard Tories.

1955 Times 19 May 10/1 There were also some diehard Mau Mau leaders who were doing everything in their power to prevent their followers from giving themselves up.

1971 Internat. Affairs (Moscow) Apr. 39/2 Diehard British chauvinism, rich with anti-Sovietism, was expressed back in October 1970, when the Conservative Party held its first conference..after it came to power.

1844 W. H. Maxwell Wanderings in Highlands & Islands I. x. 190 The Die-hards (57th regiment).

1856 J. W. Cole Mem. Brit. Gen. Penins. War I. v. 200 (note) .

1871 Standard 28 Jan. Ducrot, who is a good die-hard general of brigade.

1871 Daily News 1 Feb. Some 20,000 die-hards are determined to get up into that keep and hold out for a spell longer.

1892 W. R. Lluellyn in Dict. National Biogr. XXIX. 8/1 At Albuera the 57th occupied a position as important as it was deadly. ‘Die hard! 57th’, said Inglis, ‘die hard!’ They obeyed, and the regiment is known as the ‘Die-hards’ to this day.

1857 T. Hughes Tom Brown's School Days i. v. 114 They [sc. Rugby football players] are ‘the fighting brigade’, the ‘die-hards’, larking about at leap-frog..and playing tricks on one another.

1912 Tatler 9 Oct. 32a (caption) One of the ‘Die-hards’. Lord Willoughby de Broke speaking recently at Ballyroney against Home Rule for Ireland.

1920 Studies June 197 The heroes of Marathon were conservative ‘diehards’: the modern Athenian..was a Socialist or Spartacist.

1922 Times 18 Oct. 14/2 Diehards demand freedom. Lord Salisbury on Coalition.

1922 Daily Mail 25 Oct. 10 Mr. Chamberlain said: Politics have many vicissitudes. A few days ago I was orthodox; to-day I am a ‘Die-hard’.

1922 Daily Mail 3 Nov. 13 Die hard, the section of Conservatives led by Lord Salisbury who were hostile to Mr. Lloyd George's Premiership and Home Rule.

1927 A. T. Hagg Labour Community Song Bk. 6 The Tory Die-hards in their clubs They sing this plaintive song.

1957 New Yorker 29 June 60/2 The few million white Algerian French citizens, who the diehards declare must not be abandoned.

1963 F. T. Visser Hist. Syntax Eng. Lang. I. iv. 365 It would seem to have been a linguistic die-hard.

1900 Westm. Gaz. 9 July 3/1 To anyone in doubt as to a suitable dog to take up as household guard or companion the Scottish terrier, often called the ‘Die-hard’, or Aberdeen terrier, and the Dandie Dinmont, immortalised by Sir Walter Scott, are strongly recommended.

1921 Argus (Melbourne) 13 Sept. 5 The name ‘Die-Hards’ has been given to the well-known black or brindle Scottish terrier.

1922 Glasgow Herald 8 Mar. 8 If the atmosphere of cooperation can be created, ‘die-hardism’ will be painlessly asphyxiated.

1923 Glasgow Herald 28 July 8 There is a core of ‘die-hardism’ in all sincerely held convictions, and its language does not consist only of ‘outworn shibboleths’.

1926 Manch. Guardian Weekly Sept. 181/1 Mr. Churchill has reversed his former die-hardism and struck out boldly.

1934 A. Toynbee Study of Hist. III. 77 The most remarkable feat of Spartan ‘Diehardism’ was the attempt of the Royal Martyrs..to reclothe the dry bones of the ‘Lycurgean’ system in flesh.