> as lemmas

1832 Instr. Deaf & Dumb 75 Q. Are you able to call for assistance, if you are attacked? A. No; they (the watch) happened along.

1846 Amer. Whig. Rev. Jan. 20/1 ‘I wonder how he happened over this way,’ he continued.

1880 Columbia Spectator (Columbia Univ., N.Y.) 8 Oct. 52 The gale Tore from her derby hat the veil. I happened by, and saw it fly.

1882 L. L. Lynch Shadowed by Three liii. 730 You see that officious Mr. Bathurst had forestalled me, and Mrs. Richards had the grapes all ready; that's how I happened back.

1898 J. O. Kerbey Further Adventures of Boy Spy in Dixie ii. 28 I happened around to the Wells house..knowing very well that Geno, dressed in her most becoming of Summer toilets, would soon join me on the veranda.

1932 J. Buchan Magic Walking-stick vii. 71 They take no more concern in the parish than a gor-crow that happens over from Alemoor to pick up a pullet.

1970 G. F. Newman Sir, You Bastard viii. 246 She had decided she would just happen back.

1998 Chicago Tribune 24 Dec. ii. 7/2 Planting yourself on the couch and watching anything that happens along.

2011 Independent 29 July (Viewspaper section) 3/1 The next chef, Jean-Paul Vinay, added a second star in 1983—the same year that Ferran Adria happened by.