I'm just speaking off the top of my head (the way one often does on the
Internet), but I feel confident that "to the manor born" is the original
form. Incidentally, there was a British sitcom by that title that showed
up on American public television some years ago.
William S. Peterson
University of Maryland
wsp@wam.umd.edu
*****************************
On Thu, 10 Jun 1999, Mark Stirling wrote:
> Dear List,
>
> I wonder if anyone can shed light on my confusion about a well known
> phrase, "To the manner (manor) born." I have seen this in both
> forms, (Howells, W.D., LITERARY FRIENDS AND AQUAINTANCE. NY and Lond:
> Harpers, 1900, p. 200; Duberman, Martin, JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL. Boston:
> Houghton, Mifflin, 1966, p. 85.).
> Who first used this phrase, is one form a mistake? Let's take a
> poll!
>
> Cordially, Mark
>
> Mark Stirling
> Up-Country Letters
>