in figurative sense of "land of make-believe" first recorded 1956, from U.S. entertainment park (opened in 1955) created by animator and producer Walter E. Disney (1901-1966).
1670s, coined by Dryden (as wittycism) from witty on model of criticism.
"That every witticism is an inexact thought: that what is perfectly true is imperfectly witty ...." [Walter Savage Landor, "Imaginary Conversations"]
"sharing, having a share or part in common with others," 1833, from participate + -ory. Participatory democracy is attested by 1965, a term from student protests and mass demonstrations, contrasted with representative democracy. The formulation of the idea, if not the phrase, seems to trace to U.S. progressive political writer Walter Lippmann (1889-1974).
also coigne, an archaic spelling of quoin (q.v.) the survival of which is due to Shakespeare's coign of vantage ("Macbeth" I.vi.), popularized by Sir Walter Scott; in this phrase it is properly "a projecting corner" (for observation).
expression of contempt, 1921 (in a newspaper cartoon), from Yiddish, from German pfui (attested in English from 1866); popularized by Walter Winchell. Phoo "vocalic gesture expressing contemptuous rejection" is recorded from 1640s. And compare go phut "come to nothing, come to a sudden end" (1906).
c. 1200, "to boast;" c. 1300, "to praise, commend highly," a word that survived in Scottish dialect and Sir Walter, from Middle English rosen "to brag, boast" (late 12c.), from Old Norse hrosa "to boast of, to praise." Related: Roosed; roosing. Also as a noun from c. 1200, "a boasting, bragging, vainglory."
