Derivation of word "vetting"??

Question

The word "vetting". What is the derivation/origin, and meaning. It is not in any dictionary I have. It is being used a lot lately.TIA,Dennis"Be suspicious of anybody who claims to know the truth."

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]The word "vetting". What is the derivation/origin, and meaning. It is not in any dictionary I have. It is being used a lot lately.[/nq]
According to the New Oxford Dictionary, "Vet"
in the sense of "examine carefully" is derived
from "veterinary" or "veterinarian" as unlikely it may seem.

Michael West

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The word "vetting". What is the derivation/origin, and meaning. It is not in any dictionary I have. It is being used a lot lately.[/nq]
The word 'vetting' is not new. There is at least one example in print from
1918.

From the , with illustrative quotations, the NECESSARY dictionary in matters such as these:
First, VET (noun)
(Contraction of VETERINARIAN or VETERINARY.)
1. A veterinary surgeon. colloq.
1862 H. MARRYAT Year in Sweden III. 328 A lieutenant, accompanied by thevet, did the honours of the stables. 1876 BURNABY Ride to Khiva xv. (ed. 3) 136 The Kirghiz themselves have but little faith in doctors or vets. 1883 E. PENNELL-ELMHIRST Cream Leicestersh. 223 A battered stud was left in the hands of the groom and the vet.
2. A doctor of medicine. slang.
?You might have a relapse.?
1975 A. POWELL Hearing Distant Harmonies ii. 83 Saw my vet last week. Saidhe'd never inspected a fitter man of my age.
Then VET (verb):
(f. VET n.1)
1. trans. To submit (an animal) to examination or treatment by aveterinary surgeon.
1891 ?ANNIE THOMAS? That Affair II. i. 11 Beau is shaky in his forelegs. I shall have him vetted before the races. 1904 Times 9 Mar. 8/1 Of the 73 stallions..only 39 came back for a second inspection after they had been ?vetted?.
2. To examine or treat (a person) medically.
1898 B. M. CROKER Peggy of the Bartons xiv, You will have them(sc. friends) round to ?vet? you. 1900 Westm. Gaz. 14 Apr. 2/1 ?Where are you going this afternoon??.. ?Going to be vetted,? he grunted.
3. To examine carefully and critically for deficiencies orerrors; spec. to investigate the suitability of (a person) for a post that requires loyalty and trustworthiness.1904 KIPLING Traffics & Discov. 270 These are our crowd... They've beenvetted, an' we're putting 'em through their paces. 1924 H. A. VACHELL Quinney's Adventures 267 Shelagh ?vetted? Dolan's brogue, and passed it as sound enough for an Irish-American. 1925 E. F. NORTON Fight for Everest: 1924 III. vi. 338 He should have all equipment..completely ready three or four months before shipmentonly thus can everything be properly ?vetted? and criticized.

1938 G. ARTHUR Not Worth Reading viii. 110 The official in Pall Mall..who ?vetted? us..swallowed without a gulp some rather mendacious replies as to one's technical knowledge of the various parts of a Canadian boat. 1947 E. WAUGH Let. 29 May (1980) 251 The romantic castle was condemned by the architect I sent to vet it, as moribund. 1959 DUKE OF BEDFORD Silver-Plated Spoon vi. 128 We went through an awful period while Brownie was ?vetted? at a series of interviews with relations, each more embarrassing than the last.

1978 G. GREENE Human Factor II. i. 63 HQ had her vetted.
Then VETTING (verbal noun, gerund):
(f. VET v. 3 + -ING1.)
The action or process of vetting a person or thing; esp. the investigation of a person's background and credentials to determine his loyalty or trustworthiness; positive vetting, vetting which includes a search for weaknesses of character or anything else that could render the subject vulnerable to exploitation.1918 H. A. VACHELL Some Happenings iv. 42 Doctors were so ridiculouslycocksure! All the same, he felt mildly interested in the vetting... Constitutionally he was as sound as a bell. 1927 Observer 17 July 13/1 The ?vetting? of applicants for loans would involve the State in an expenditure on itinerant investigators and inspectors. 1955 H. MACMILLAN in Hansard Commons 7 Nov. 1499 At the beginning of 1952, a regular system of positive vetting was introduced.

This procedure entails detailed research into the whole background of the officer concerned. 1970 Canadian Antiques Collector July-Aug. 5/2, I was pleased to see that the vetting committee had done their work well. 1978 G. GREENE Human Factor I. iii. 38 Of course, he belongs to the slack vetting days, but I'd say he was clear. 1982 Daily Tel. 20 July 3/1 There are some 68,000 government posts currently requiring positive vetting. Civil servants of Under Secretary rank and above are automatic candidates.

Regards, Frank Young
(Email Removed) 703-527-7684 Post Office Box 2793, Kensington, Maryland 20891 "Videmus nunc per speculum in aenigmate... Nunc cognosco ex parte"

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The word "vetting". What is the derivation/origin, and meaning. It is not in any dictionary I have. It is being used a lot lately.[/nq]
[nq:1]The word 'vetting' is not new. There is at least one example in print from 1918. From the , with illustrative quotations, the NECESSARY dictionary in matters such as these:[/nq]
Not new certainly, but not common in the US
until fairly recently.

Michael West

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The word "vetting". What is the derivation/origin, and meaning. It is not in any dictionary I have. It is being used a lot lately.[/nq]
¿Qué? Try an English dictionary, under 'vet'. An old one should do.

Mike.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The word "vetting". What is the derivation/origin, and meaning. It is not in any dictionary I have. It is being used a lot lately.[/nq]
[nq:1]¿Qué? Try an English dictionary, under 'vet'. An old one should do.[/nq]
If it's an American dictionary, it needs to be pretty comprehensive. "Vet" in this usage is a Briticism, and it didn't come over on the Mayflower. It is in my Webster's Collegiate from 1977, but I'd wager it doesn't go back much farther than that in the US.

Michael West

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The word 'vetting' is not new. There is at least ... illustrative quotations, the NECESSARY dictionary in matters such as these:[/nq]
[nq:1]Not new certainly, but not common in the US until fairly recently.[/nq]
'positive vetting' not untill the McCarthy period, I guess,

Jan

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]¿Qué? Try an English dictionary, under 'vet'. An old one should do.[/nq]
[nq:1]If it's an American dictionary, it needs to be pretty comprehensive. "Vet" in this usage is a Briticism, and it ... in my Webster's Collegiate from 1977, but I'd wager it doesn't go back much farther than that in the US.[/nq]
I first encountered the term circa 1970. We received a request to propose some work vetting procurement documents. As I recall, the request came from India. We had to look the word up, but did find it in some dictionary.

John Varela
(Trade "OLD" lamps for "NEW" for email.)
I apologize for munging the address but the spam was too much.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]¿Qué? Try an English dictionary, under 'vet'. An old one should do.[/nq]
[nq:1]If it's an American dictionary, it needs to be pretty comprehensive. "Vet" in this usage is a Briticism, and it ... in my Webster's Collegiate from 1977, but I'd wager it doesn't go back much farther than that in the US.[/nq]
Gosh! My apologies to Dennis. Certainly the OED1 entry only applies it to medical 'vetting' in the case of human subjects, but it's certainly pretty old on the right bank.
But then, again, I don't think much of a dictionary which excludes significant usages from either side of the Pond. The written language of either side has always been read on either side, usually within weeks, and now within days or minutes.
Mike.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The word "vetting". What is the derivation/origin, and meaning. It is not in any dictionary I have. It is being used a lot lately.[/nq]
[nq:1]¿Qué? Try an English dictionary, under 'vet'. An old one should do.[/nq]
But none of them (that I have seen) explain the connection between a vet and this meaning. Interesting that 'to doctor' means something quite different from careful examination.

Rob Bannister

Usenet · Answer

Robert Bannister infrared:
[nq:1]But none of them (that I have seen) explain the connection between a vet and this meaning. Interesting that 'to doctor' means something quite different from careful examination.[/nq]
I took the cat to the vet to have him doctored, and then took myself to the doctor to have myself vetted.
It's a good thing I didn't mix those two up.

Peter Moylan peter at ee dot newcastle dot edu dot au http://eepjm.newcastle.edu.au (OS/2 and eCS information and software)

Derivation of word "vetting"??

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions