> as lemmas

1770 Yorick's Jests 10 The wise mayor perceiving the words Anno Domini, immediately sent for and abused the painter for committing such a gross blunder as putting Anno Domini; ‘when, says he, don't you know that Queen Anne is dead, and therefore it should be Georgio Domini.’]

1798 G. Colman Heir at Law i. i. 6 What will they hear but what they know? our story a secret, Lord help you!—tell 'em Queen Anne's dead, my Lady.

1840 R. H. Barham Some Acct. New Play in Ingoldsby Legends 1st Ser. 305 Lord Brougham, it appears, isn't dead,—though Queen Anne is.

1859 W. M. Thackeray Virginians lxxiii On which my lady cried petulantly, ‘Oh Lord, Queen Anne's dead, I suppose.’

1880 Musical Times & Singing Class Circular 21 227/1 We should not forget that there are people living who believe the world is flat, contend that ignorance is a valuable quality in the ‘common people’..and, to put the case comprehensively, need telling that Queen Anne is dead.

1910 Times 2 Apr. 15/6 We also say ‘Queen Anne's dead’ by way of rebuking a quidnunc who brings us a piece of information too well known to be mentioned.

1952 Bismarck (N. Dakota) Tribune 5 July 4/3 All you can say about such persons is that they haven't looked at the calendar lately. If they did so, they'd discover that it's 1952, Queen Anne is dead, snuff boxes are out of date, and Massa's in the cold, cold ground.

2005 Liverpool Echo (Nexis) 15 Jan. 10 ‘McFadden's gone past the three French players there,’ said Lawrenson, who can also tell you that Queen Anne is dead, night follows day and bears defecate in the woods.