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For years, one of the anti-diary camp’s loudest and most proudly parroted claims has been this:
The phrase ‘one off instance’ is an anachronism! It didn’t exist in 1888. It’s post war. It proves the diary is fake.
This argument has been repeated so often and so smugly, it’s become a kind of lazy shorthand, the go-to trump card for anyone trying to sound authoritative without doing a shred of serious research. But here’s the problem.. it’s dead wrong.
Let’s cut straight through the smugness and get to the evidence.
Multiple 19th century sources disprove this myth.
The British press, Victorian, mainstream, and not written by time travelers, is filled with period uses of the exact same structure, it demonstrates the usage of “one off” in exactly the way critics claim is anachronistic, to describe rare, unique, or singular incidents.
One off event
One off chance
One off opportunity
One off moment
One off accident
All of these phrases appear in authentic 19th century British newspapers, fully consistent with the diary’s language and tone. In fact, “one off accident” appears in legal reporting, not fiction, not hearsay, showing the structure was in accepted use in official and serious contexts. These aren’t vague “might be” echoes. They’re concrete, documented uses.
So much for the “didn’t exist before 1960” fairy tale.
The “one off instance = modern = hoax” claim doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. It’s not that the evidence is missing, it’s that echo chamber logic has replaced actual investigation. This kind of reasoning thrives on repetition, not verification.
It doesn’t take deep linguistic theory or obscure archives to uncover historical uses of one off with words like event, chance, moment, opportunity, and even accident, all it takes is a basic capacity for research and the willingness to question a tired narrative.
So why do some still cling to this myth? Because it’s comfortable. It’s easy. It sounds like a silver bullet.. quick, clean, smugly delivered, and it avoids the uncomfortable truth.. that some details in the diary are harder to dismiss than others.
Language isn’t frozen in time, the phrase “one off instance” fits grammatically and semantically with these known Victorian usages. It’s the same structure. The same syntax. The same intent. Arguing that “one off accident” was fine in Victorian era, but “one off instance” is magically impossible in 1888 is not a position, it’s a tantrum.
You can’t selectively weaponize historical linguistics only when it fits your bias. That’s not skepticism. That’s intellectual fraud.
The claim that “one off instance” proves the diary is a modern hoax has officially collapsed. If your anti-diary argument still leans on “one off instance = linguistic anachronism,” then your position is factually bankrupt. No more hiding behind confident tone and circular citations to “modern slang origins.” The phrase “one off” was demonstrably used in the Victorian era to describe unique or rare occurrences, in real English, by real people, in real documents.
The record shows clearly that the structure “one off instance” was alive and well in Victorian Britain.
There is no linguistic barrier that makes “one off instance” impossible or anachronistic.
The anti-diary camp is left clinging to a myth that collapses the second you step into the historical record. Not only was “one off” in use, but it was fluid, idiomatic, and capable of expressing nuance in ways entirely compatible with the diary’s phrasing.
In short.. The only thing “one off” about this argument is how many more times it can fail before they retire it for good
Keep believing the diary is a hoax if you want, there are other reasons to do so. But this isn’t one of them anymore.
This file is now under 'defeated and discarded'
Published: Saturday 17 November 1877
Newspaper: South Eastern Advertiser
informed of th zelatomdel(‘:idodm con oreed at his previou could not become au ac %o become an honorary ¢ coast, and near to one off event of an invasion at lland, he felt no small deg] ing the district so well d laughter.) They loved all Englisfhme: -htauld ...
Published: Tuesday 01 December 1874
Newspaper: Birmingham Mail
ENT NEWS CROYDON -This to the the In condition goodly number of competed attendance large-one keeping fine unpleasant one off event and in for Plate Belle below Selling Race AY 1 Potter filly Davis 3 (Mr Bambridge) (Marsh) Ruffle (Owner) Swell (I’Anson) ...
Published: Monday 08 January 1894
Newspaper: Sporting Life
failed to score- Play was first at one end and then at the other «p to close half-time, when J. Cocdall missed an easy one off chance given him Bloomer. returned the compliment, and Bloomer marie mistake, so that Derby crossed over or© to the good. Soon ...
Published: Saturday 27 January 1883
Newspaper: Belfast Weekly News
beat by a flush. sequence. That's my case, the aces would be good enough to back for tifty years, but there is just that one off chance, they may be rolled over. There, I've said my say, and open my mouth no more ; ask the Governor there next month whether ...
Published: Saturday 06 October 1883
Newspaper: Northern Scot and Moray & Nairn Express
precedent for precedent's sake, and sense relatives--there's four of us in all— tangle we years, but there is jest ti one off chance, they may lavishness of art these two create—that mean had come is for • good thing. I bought • hunter—a be rolled over ...
Published: Monday 19 January 1807
Newspaper: Salisbury and Winchester Journal
approbious epithets towards him, Mr. Meredith on his knees begged tor pardon life.—lt has been stated, that Mr. spi tol had •one off accident, but tliis could not happen, as Mi. Meridith's pistol had feather spring, was fired whilst Mr. Meridith took deliberate ...
Published: Wednesday 12 March 1890
Newspaper: Daily News (London)
induce t i Iteo the *Atte 1 n 20 t 0 ?? Isaacs had Tr0 desire to b tid ibut, although he admitted tl idaly te pistol had t one off accident- ti prisonty in theo time was that the ti St baa ?? pistol at him at the time it waov 1s tusthgd det th be sa time there ...
Published: Saturday 29 June 1895
Newspaper: Sporting Gazette
presence of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Cambridge on the cross-benches marked the occasion as one off moment. The Peeresses' Galleries, however, made a brilliant display, being filled from end to end with the wives and daughters ...
Published: Friday 20 March 1812
Newspaper: Statesman (London)
practice toe two squadrons in the. the active exertions of the country. Was this a Bay of Biscay, one off L'Orient, and • one off moment, then, to chill their spirits, and prevent their Rochefort, to watch the motions of the enemy. entering into the service ...
Published: Saturday 25 June 1864
Newspaper: Redditch Indicator
the statistics of our vast and increasing population, that there are •,bousands among us, who, either from want of One, Off opportunity, are totally unable to quit their own native country and inspect for themselves beauties of foreign lands. In the tint ...
The Baron
The phrase ‘one off instance’ is an anachronism! It didn’t exist in 1888. It’s post war. It proves the diary is fake.
This argument has been repeated so often and so smugly, it’s become a kind of lazy shorthand, the go-to trump card for anyone trying to sound authoritative without doing a shred of serious research. But here’s the problem.. it’s dead wrong.
Let’s cut straight through the smugness and get to the evidence.
Multiple 19th century sources disprove this myth.
The British press, Victorian, mainstream, and not written by time travelers, is filled with period uses of the exact same structure, it demonstrates the usage of “one off” in exactly the way critics claim is anachronistic, to describe rare, unique, or singular incidents.
One off event
One off chance
One off opportunity
One off moment
One off accident
All of these phrases appear in authentic 19th century British newspapers, fully consistent with the diary’s language and tone. In fact, “one off accident” appears in legal reporting, not fiction, not hearsay, showing the structure was in accepted use in official and serious contexts. These aren’t vague “might be” echoes. They’re concrete, documented uses.
So much for the “didn’t exist before 1960” fairy tale.
The “one off instance = modern = hoax” claim doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. It’s not that the evidence is missing, it’s that echo chamber logic has replaced actual investigation. This kind of reasoning thrives on repetition, not verification.
It doesn’t take deep linguistic theory or obscure archives to uncover historical uses of one off with words like event, chance, moment, opportunity, and even accident, all it takes is a basic capacity for research and the willingness to question a tired narrative.
So why do some still cling to this myth? Because it’s comfortable. It’s easy. It sounds like a silver bullet.. quick, clean, smugly delivered, and it avoids the uncomfortable truth.. that some details in the diary are harder to dismiss than others.
Language isn’t frozen in time, the phrase “one off instance” fits grammatically and semantically with these known Victorian usages. It’s the same structure. The same syntax. The same intent. Arguing that “one off accident” was fine in Victorian era, but “one off instance” is magically impossible in 1888 is not a position, it’s a tantrum.
You can’t selectively weaponize historical linguistics only when it fits your bias. That’s not skepticism. That’s intellectual fraud.
The claim that “one off instance” proves the diary is a modern hoax has officially collapsed. If your anti-diary argument still leans on “one off instance = linguistic anachronism,” then your position is factually bankrupt. No more hiding behind confident tone and circular citations to “modern slang origins.” The phrase “one off” was demonstrably used in the Victorian era to describe unique or rare occurrences, in real English, by real people, in real documents.
The record shows clearly that the structure “one off instance” was alive and well in Victorian Britain.
There is no linguistic barrier that makes “one off instance” impossible or anachronistic.
The anti-diary camp is left clinging to a myth that collapses the second you step into the historical record. Not only was “one off” in use, but it was fluid, idiomatic, and capable of expressing nuance in ways entirely compatible with the diary’s phrasing.
In short.. The only thing “one off” about this argument is how many more times it can fail before they retire it for good
Keep believing the diary is a hoax if you want, there are other reasons to do so. But this isn’t one of them anymore.
This file is now under 'defeated and discarded'
Published: Saturday 17 November 1877
Newspaper: South Eastern Advertiser
informed of th zelatomdel(‘:idodm con oreed at his previou could not become au ac %o become an honorary ¢ coast, and near to one off event of an invasion at lland, he felt no small deg] ing the district so well d laughter.) They loved all Englisfhme: -htauld ...
Published: Tuesday 01 December 1874
Newspaper: Birmingham Mail
ENT NEWS CROYDON -This to the the In condition goodly number of competed attendance large-one keeping fine unpleasant one off event and in for Plate Belle below Selling Race AY 1 Potter filly Davis 3 (Mr Bambridge) (Marsh) Ruffle (Owner) Swell (I’Anson) ...
Published: Monday 08 January 1894
Newspaper: Sporting Life
failed to score- Play was first at one end and then at the other «p to close half-time, when J. Cocdall missed an easy one off chance given him Bloomer. returned the compliment, and Bloomer marie mistake, so that Derby crossed over or© to the good. Soon ...
Published: Saturday 27 January 1883
Newspaper: Belfast Weekly News
beat by a flush. sequence. That's my case, the aces would be good enough to back for tifty years, but there is just that one off chance, they may be rolled over. There, I've said my say, and open my mouth no more ; ask the Governor there next month whether ...
Published: Saturday 06 October 1883
Newspaper: Northern Scot and Moray & Nairn Express
precedent for precedent's sake, and sense relatives--there's four of us in all— tangle we years, but there is jest ti one off chance, they may lavishness of art these two create—that mean had come is for • good thing. I bought • hunter—a be rolled over ...
Published: Monday 19 January 1807
Newspaper: Salisbury and Winchester Journal
approbious epithets towards him, Mr. Meredith on his knees begged tor pardon life.—lt has been stated, that Mr. spi tol had •one off accident, but tliis could not happen, as Mi. Meridith's pistol had feather spring, was fired whilst Mr. Meridith took deliberate ...
Published: Wednesday 12 March 1890
Newspaper: Daily News (London)
induce t i Iteo the *Atte 1 n 20 t 0 ?? Isaacs had Tr0 desire to b tid ibut, although he admitted tl idaly te pistol had t one off accident- ti prisonty in theo time was that the ti St baa ?? pistol at him at the time it waov 1s tusthgd det th be sa time there ...
Published: Saturday 29 June 1895
Newspaper: Sporting Gazette
presence of the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and the Duke of Cambridge on the cross-benches marked the occasion as one off moment. The Peeresses' Galleries, however, made a brilliant display, being filled from end to end with the wives and daughters ...
Published: Friday 20 March 1812
Newspaper: Statesman (London)
practice toe two squadrons in the. the active exertions of the country. Was this a Bay of Biscay, one off L'Orient, and • one off moment, then, to chill their spirits, and prevent their Rochefort, to watch the motions of the enemy. entering into the service ...
Published: Saturday 25 June 1864
Newspaper: Redditch Indicator
the statistics of our vast and increasing population, that there are •,bousands among us, who, either from want of One, Off opportunity, are totally unable to quit their own native country and inspect for themselves beauties of foreign lands. In the tint ...
The Baron
What about 'one off the wr...' ah no nevermind 
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