Hi
I recently read the phrase “'bring a war to a successful issue”. This phrase certainly looks dated now. I read it in Will England’s “March 1917” (page 193). It’ used in letter by Evelyn Cameron (an English immigrant to the US and photographer of western life) to a friend in England in 1916.
."…I believe ability and strength will be given to those in authority to bring the war to a successful issue".
Was this phrase a standard phrase in its day. Is it still used? I have not seen this phrase anywhere else.
I look forward to your feedback.
It’s a bit stilted and pompous, but the war context is irrelevant. It’s the sort of phrase that would have been used in formal business and legal correspondence at the time, so perhaps this author was in that world, or just thought writing about the war required some extra gravitas.
My 1922 Shorter OED recognises “issue” in that sense. To my mind it sort of carries the sense of a result/consequence for the future (cf. “issue” meaning children), rather than just an ending of the past, which might be what they were wanting to imply; a bit over-grand, perhaps, but that may just be a stylistic quirk of the individual.