[f. SOBER a.] A sedate, serious-minded person. Also transf.

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1705.  Hickeringill, Priest-Cr., IV. Wks. 1716, III. 225. And he said—Nay; or, no, no, Sober-sides, no.

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1824.  Mactaggart, Gallovid. Encycl., 430. Sobersides, a creature of sober habits.

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1846.  Mrs. Gore, Engl. Charac. (1852), 85. The mamma naturally takes part with the Sobersides who has so much sympathy with her rheumatism.

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1857.  Dufferin, Lett. High Lat. (ed. 3), 221. Innumerable sea-birds sat in the crevices…. There was one old sober-sides with whom I passed a good ten minutes tête-à-tête.

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1878.  Spurgeon, Serm., XXIV. 252. They say, ‘Oh, you old sobersides, how grave you are!’

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  Hence Sober-sided a.

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1847.  Mrs. Gore, Castles in Air, x. After that sober-sided fellow … filled him with qualms that ruined his digestion.

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