OED 3e: 'Etymology' and 'Meaning & use' for "goto"

Question

When trying to search for "goto" on merriam-webster.com or dictionary.com, it redirects to go-to. Often, entries will state that what you were trying to search for is a common misspelling, but that's not the case here.

Now I'm curious if there's anything about goto on oed.com—behind the paywall—within the go or go-to entries, similar to how their entry for more includes a mention of moreso: "[a] 'chiefly U.S.' [variant of more so]" ^[1]

So, if you have an oed.com subscription, I'd appreciate their excerpts regarding this – if there even is any.

I think that solid goto would be listed this side of the paywall if licensed. It's not so listed, and other sources only give the hyphenated form for the noun and adjective. — Edwin Ashworth, Feb 10 '24 at 15:59
I would not omit the hyphen in a go-to guy and I don't think many authors would either. — DjinTonic, Feb 10 '24 at 18:38
I’m voting to close this question because asking someone to reproduce text from the OED is not what this site is for, and may well be breach of copyright. If the OP has a specific question that might be answered by the OED they should ask the question. If you want to see what a book says, go look in the book. — Stuart F, Feb 10 '24 at 23:38

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 10 '24 at 16:48

2

The OED entry is recent. It has only the hyphenated version and has it as an adjective, although I have seen it used as a substantive.

1. Originally U.S. Sport. That may be consulted or relied upon; frequently chosen, utilized, or sought out in a particular situation. Earliest in go-to guy.

1985 Derek is one of my go-to guys—players who want the ball in crucial situations. United Press International Newswire (Nexis) 4 April

2012 Testing Treatments..remains the single go-to book on this topic in my view. B. Goldacre, Bad Pharma 371

Pretty obviously, it gives

Summary

Formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: go v., to prep.

Hence: The person or thing that I [would] go to.

As a curiosity, OED has "goto" as a 19th century spelling of "Goitre."

If you have seen "goto" recently, it is probably from C programming, in which a goto statement is used for altering the normal sequence of program execution by transferring control to some other part of the program.

It could be that the less than literate are confusing these.

answered Feb 10 '24 at 16:48

Greybeard

41,737

I found a 1973 (non-sports) example: Very soon, my boss had marked me as the "go-to guy."—Brian Tracy – DjinTonic Feb 10 '24 at 19:04
@DjinTonic: The book you cite appears to be from 2004, not 1974. See the publication data here for a version of Goals very similar to the one in your Google Books link. The reference on the Google Books page to "Goals for 1973 By Comprehensive Health Planning Council of South Florida" seems unrelated to Tracy's book. ... – Sven Yargs Feb 10 '24 at 20:11
... An index of health-related publications compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Health Planning includes two entries for "Goals for 1973" published by the Comprehensive Health Planning Council of South Florida in January 1973—one listed at 84 pages and one at 87 pages; the cited instance from Tracy's Goals appears on page 377 of that book. – Sven Yargs Feb 10 '24 at 20:11
@SvenYargs I think you are correct--I was going by the date shown on the "Find in a Library" link. – DjinTonic Feb 11 '24 at 01:01

OED 3e: 'Etymology' and 'Meaning & use' for "goto"

1 Answers1