# "To Vet," origin thereof?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-vet-origin-thereof/470016>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 29, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-vet-origin-thereof/470016 "2008-10-29T00:38:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-vet-origin-thereof/470016/1 "2008-10-29T00:38:46Z")

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It seems that the verb “to vet” (meaning to examine carefully) date from 1904, with Kipling being the first printed citation. Cite:

[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=v&p=4](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?l=v&p=4)  
Anyone have a more detailed explanation of how we got this verb?

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**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-vet-origin-thereof/470016/2 "2008-10-29T00:42:18Z")

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I think the answer is in your own link:

> [@](#):
>
> the colloquial sense of “subject to careful examination” (as of an animal by a veterinarian, especially of a horse before a race)

So it sounds like the term comes from the careful examination a vet gives a horse before a race.

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-vet-origin-thereof/470016/3 "2008-10-29T01:11:41Z")

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I cannot say from where, but I have heard the same re being examined by a veterinarian.

Maybe I heard it here on the Dope?

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**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-vet-origin-thereof/470016/4 "2008-10-29T01:50:12Z")

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> [@griffin1977](#):
>
> I think the answer is in your own link:  
> So it sounds like the term comes from the careful examination a vet gives a horse before a race.

That’s it. I heard the same etymology on the news upon Palin’s selection.

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**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-vet-origin-thereof/470016/5 "2008-10-29T22:13:27Z")

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[William Safire](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE0D7123FF93BA15750C0A965958260&scp=1&sq=William+Safire+vetting&st=nyt&scp=2&sq=safire%20vet&st=cse) agrees, although he goes into more detail.

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**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-vet-origin-thereof/470016/6 "2008-10-29T22:35:14Z")

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Thank you all.