> as lemmas

1777–8 R. Wight Horæ Subsecivæ (MS Bodl. Eng. lang. d.66) 341 [Devon] The Pride of the Morning—Imber Matutinus, quasi ex Aurora nimio humore turgida profluens, tempore scilicet æstivo.

1877 in Notes & Queries 5th Ser. 8 275/2 [Lancashire, Shropshire, Berkshire] In Berkshire a slight early morning rain is called the 'pride of the morning'.

1883 T. Hardy Romantic Adventures of Milkmaid in Franklin Square Libr. 29 June 4/2 ‘Here it is so dreary, and the fog was horrible this morning!’ ‘Why, this is only the pride of the morning!’ said Margery, brightly. ‘By-and-by it will be a beautiful day.’

1905 ‘Q’ Shining Ferry x As for the touch of damp, 'tis nobbut the pride o' the mornin'.

1953 Times 17 Aug. 7/7 In my youth those sudden sprays of rain were known as the ‘pride of the morning’ (or day as the case might be). It always seemed such a lovely expression.

1992 Independent 10 Apr. 13/1 Paddy Ashdown emerged from his home in the Somerset village of Norton sub Hamdon into honest-to-goodness early morning mist...‘In Somerset, they call mist like this Pride of the Morning,’ he said.