To ask where I can check whether certain phrases I've come across are modern?

[Thelowquietsea]

I need to edit a document - one of the things I need to do is check whether the phrasing used is right for the era, or whether it's too modern.

I don't want to post the words/phrases publicly.

Can anyone advise me where I might look? Or if there are any experts, whether I can DM them?!

Thanks

I think you'll have to give more information such as which era is it at least? And which country/region/city as that will play a part.

You can google the history (etymology?) of a word or phrase. Lots of websites that do this.

Use a google Ngram. This is what they are for.

OED will give the etymology of words, so you can find key words from your phrase (or perhaps strike it lucky and find the exact phrase) and it will tell you when it was first used in that sense.

It's available online, and really is the best source for history of words in the English language

OED. You will be able to access it online from your local library's online catalogue, under the resources section.

Thanks so much!

Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

My dad had a copy, I found it fascinating.

Good one BikeRunSki !

My parents had a copy of Brewer's, and it's fascinating!

So, will Brewer's Dic cover general phrases and words? Like the OED?

Can you give some examples?

Have you looked at google ngrams? Seriously this is exactly what they are designed to do.