riddancen.

1524 tr. J. de Bourbon Begynnynge & Foundacyon Holy Hospytall sig. C.iii^v Whan this assaut was doone they made another... But the ordynaunce of the trauerses of the walles and of the houses made so fayre a ryddaunce y^t they were ryght fayne to withdrawe them.

1533 J. Heywood Play of Wether sig. Ciii ^v Now be we ryd of two knaues at one chaunce By saynt Thomas yt is a knauyshe ryddaunce.

1570 A. Golding tr. D. Chytræus Postil iv. 269 The second & cheef argument is grounded vpon the end of persecution, or vpon our most gladsome riddance out of all miseries.

1656 S. Holland Don Zara iii. vi. 210 The River Nylus had broken that way, and made a fair riddance of these foule creatures.

1694 J. Kettlewell Compan. for Persecuted 102 Give them comfort under their sufferings, and in thy due time an happy riddance thereof.

1785 R. Cumberland Nat. Son i. 14 'Twas a happy riddance: and what the world wou'd think a misfortune..I account a blessing.

1827 W. Scott Jrnl. 8 July (1941) 73 God send honest industry a fine riddance.

1844 C. Thirlwall Hist. Greece VIII. lxii. 147 The loss of so many captives was treated as a happy riddance.

1861 C. Dickens Great Expectations III. iii. 50 Compeyson took it easy as a good riddance for both sides.

1865 All Year Round Extra Christmas No., 7 Dec. 40/1 His mother indignantly declared that a girl who could so conduct herself was indeed a good riddance.

1904 E. Glasgow Deliverance ii. i. 127 ‘Well, one Fletcher the less will be a good riddance,’ he said harshly.

1950 Times 10 Feb. 3/4 The Sidney Morning Herald hails it [sc. the abandonment of petrol rationing] as a good riddance.

1989 J. Updike Self-consciousness i. 34 Mailing letters, flushing a toilet, reading the last set of proofs—all have this sweetness of riddance.

2000 T. Goodkind Faith of Fallen xxiv. 268 He could just lie there and let it all end.., never to be missed except by a few, his vanishing a good riddance to most.

c1525 J. Rastell Away Mourning (single sheet) I haue her lost, For all my cost, yet for all that I trowe I haue perchaunce, A fayre ryddaunce, And am quyt of a shrew.

1600 W. Shakespeare Merchant of Venice ii. vii. 78 Portia adiew... Por. A gentle riddance . View more context for this quotation

a1627 T. Middleton No Wit (1657) ii. 58 Mr Low. They have given thee all the slip. Mrs Low. So a fair riddance!

1676 G. Etherege Man of Mode ii. ii. 30 Loveit. Call him again. Pert. E'ne let him go, a fair riddance.

1742 E. Young Complaint: Night the Second 11 We..All Expedients tire, To lash the ling'ring moments into speed; And whirl us (happy riddance!) from ourselves.

1782 E. Blower George Bateman III. 7 In less time than whilst one could cry—‘A good riddance’.

1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xliv. 438 A good riddance of bad rubbish!.. Get along with you, or I'll have you carried out!

1863 C. Reade Hard Cash xxxii She is turned away—for sauce—and a good riddance of bad rubbish.

1883 A. Thomas Mod. Housewife 35 ‘As soon as his master comes home he shall go.’ ‘A good riddance too,’ she said morosely.

1924 M. Irwin Still she wished for Company xviii. 220 If all they say downstairs is true..it's good riddance to bad foreign rubbish.

1988 S. Rushdie Satanic Verses i. iv. 79 He was glad to have seen the back of his badly behaved colleagues; good riddance to bad rubbish, he thought.

2004 A. Robbins Pledged 31 Caitlin appreciated that her Big Sister didn't say what she was sure the rest of the sisterhood was thinking: good riddance.

a1530 T. Lupset Compend. Treat. Dyenge Well (1534) sig. B.ii^v Moch ioy he conceyueth by the ryddance of the soule from the heauye burden of this body.

1538 R. Taverner tr. Erasmus Sarcerius Common Places of Script. f. cxviii^v The christen liberty is a iayle deliuery & fre ryddaunce from al maner obedience to which we were bound before the knowlege of the gospell.

1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. xxvii. 58 Deliuerance from suddaine death, riddance from all aduersitie.

1601 T. Wright Passions of Minde (1604) 248 If the gift tended to our great good or riddance from some great evill.

1682 J. Norris tr. Hierocles Golden Verses 66 By the care of Providence an utter riddance and delivery from it.

1773 R. Hitchcock Macaroni v. 68 If the ceremony at tyburn was perform'd, I shou'd have a happy riddance from my plagues!

1826 J. Maude Visit to Niagara 25 The Americans brag much of their happy riddance from British tyranny and taxation.

1886 C. H. Spurgeon Treasury of David VII. Ps. cxliv. 11, 12 Riddance from the wicked, and the gracious presence of the Lord are sought [etc.].

1925 W. B. Hillis tr. E. Rohde Psyche ix. 298 Protection and riddance from such things were sought at the hands of seers.

1971 H. P. Odegard Politics of Truth 240 It was the skills behind alertness that eventually won riddance from the need for complete preoccupation with vigilance.

2004 I. K. Gujral Viewpoint vi. 53 India had to rid itself of the evil within, if it sought genuine riddance from the alien oppressor.

1528 W. Tyndale Obed. Christen Man f. lxxxij The Pope for money can empty purgatory when he will It is verely purgatory. For it purgeth and maketh clene riddaunce: yee it is hell. For it devoureth all thinges.

1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer iii. sig. Ll.ii Whan..they know they may ouerthrowe them with a sure riddaunce, reportinge all yuell of them, be it true or false, they doe it without sparynge.

1577 B. Googe tr. C. Heresbach Foure Bks. Husbandry ii. f. 82^v You must make this ryddance of the rootes at euery fall of the leafe.

1606 P. Holland tr. Suetonius Hist. Twelve Caesars 92 The skouringe and riddance of the workehouse prisons.

1630 tr. G. Botero Relations Famous Kingdomes World (rev. ed.) 577 The old Vice-Roy maketh quicke and cleane riddance of all Vtensils.

1682 E. Pearse Conformist's 2nd Plea for Nonconformists 19 It is not good, that a general Riddance should be made of all Dissenters.

1762 R. Guy Pract. Observ. Cancers 34 It is in vain to expect an effectual Riddance of the Water by opening the Vesicles.

1785 W. Cowper Task v. 70 Clean riddance quickly made, one only care Remains to each—the search of sunny nook.

1809 Times 15 July 2/5 A prospective supply of future demands, as well as a retrospective riddance of existing incumbrances.

1849 U. S. Dem. Rev. Feb. 113 The people were resolved, when once more at work, to make a final riddance of..the whole dynastic tree.

1861 Times 16 Aug. 6/6 In the midst of houses almost as poor, low, and rickety as those of which the Great Fire made a riddance in the City.

1904 W. F. Goodrich Small Destructors vi. 113 To send such objectionable refuse away to be dumped on waste land is at the best an irresponsible method of riddance.

1921 Pop. Mech. Jan. 8/2 The expense of torpedoing made effective riddance of the wild-fowl plague almost prohibitive.

1954 Econ. Bot. 8 105/2 Digestion of even traces of protein in the garments seems to aid in the riddance of grease and other dirt.

2005 Miami Herald (Nexis) 23 June (Neighbors section) 26 The burning of the firewood pays homage to the sun and celebrates the riddance of the negative elements of the past.

1567 J. Maplet Greene Forest f. 90^v This bird profiteth Ægipt verie much, and is the best riddance or conueiaunce that they haue of..discommodities..brought by Serpentes.

1558 Speciall Grace after Banket at Yorke sig. Cvii Straight to the fier with them: and thus made thei a riddaunce of their slaughter a pace.

1575 G. Gascoigne Noble Arte Venerie 194 The round hollowed Spade serueth to digge amongst Rootes,..the..Pickaxes to digge with in harder grounde where a Spade will make no riddance of the worke.

1581 R. Mulcaster Positions v. 33 Writing being ones perfectly goten doth make a wonderful riddance in the rest of our learning.

1608 A. Willet Hexapla in Exodum Ded. The nether milstone is heauie, slow, and of small riddance.

1683 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises II. 60 It would be troublesom and tedious..for the Press-man, and would hinder his usual riddance of Work.

1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Root-grafting The Work may be done with great Riddance..within doors.

1763 J. Mills New Syst. Pract. Husbandry IV. 32 This hoeing..may be performed with a wider hoe, for the sake of greater riddance.

1839 New Moral World 31 Aug. 710/1 The course of study they have been pursuing will have familiarised their minds to it.., thus enabling them to effect a greater riddance of work.

1598 R. Bernard tr. Terence Eunuch v. iii, in Terence in Eng. 176 I see thee stirre, but thou makest no riddance.

1617 F. Moryson Itinerary i. 61 In like cases ships use to draw them selves in, by the casting and weighing of Anchors, with great labour, and slow riddance of way.

1647 J. Trapp Comm. Epist. & Rev. (Heb. xii. 12) A drooping spirit makes no riddance of the way.

1732 W. Harris Lukewarmness in Relig. 14 They did not stand still indeed, but they moved slowly, and made little riddance.

1882 W. Harris Homiletical Comm. Prov. xv. 426/1 The way of a slothful man is perplexed and letsome, so that he gets no ground, makes no riddance.