i did the OED, too, thanks
also found the RLS citation, which confirms something i found in dickens & 
back to the original citation from Archaeologia
i think in this case "lumber" has something to do with an old association 
with pawn-shops, not the wood/timber i'm used to...

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pat Reynolds" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 9:26 AM
Subject: Re: HISTARCH Digest - 14 Jan 2007 to 15 Jan 2007 (#2007-12)


> In message <[log in to unmask]>, HISTARCH 
> automatic digest system <[log in to unmask]> writes
>>maybe a long shot here: has anyone heard/seen anything about miscellaneous
>>odds & ends of lumber being called "curious"?
>>maybe early half of the 19th century, and maybe only in british usage...?
> The OED records meanings for 'curious' = "delicate", "dainty", "made with 
> skill" - would any of those work in your context? The OED doesn't have the 
> phrase, but putting it into a search engine comes up with two 19th century 
> references, from New York and Robert Louis Stevenson.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Pat
> (who thanks you for the occasion to look up 'lumber' in the OED, too - in 
> the sense of 'bits of furniture, and other things' it's related to lumber 
> in the sense of 'a pawn shop', which is derived from 'Lombard'.
> -- 
> Pat Reynolds