This is one I just found today. It really opened my eyes about a concept that I thought was new, but apparently, is quite old.
“Before proceeding to the ordinary business of our paper, we beg to observe, that we have not chosen the name of SCOTSMAN to preserve an invidious distinction, but with the view of rescuing it from the odium of servility.”
— opening text of the first edition of The Scotsman newspaper, published in Edinburgh January 25, 1817
Until now, I had thought that the idea of making a conscious effort to “reclaim” a word which had acquired a negative connotation was a relatively new one. I think this quote demonstrates clearly the idea goes back almost 200 years. Guess I’ve gotten a real moment of enlightenment today. That’s worth smiling about!
Oh, and The Scotsman is still being published today.