'Acquired taste'

The description of something which is not immediately pleasurable or accessible as an 'acquired taste' is commonplace, but where did the term originate? Searches in various dictionaries lead back to Joseph Addison: 'the acquirement of a taste', but not the first use of the term 'acquired taste' itself.

Can anyone help with a reference to when this term was first used, or how it originally came into being?

Thanks,

---e.

[Casiopea]

Originally Posted by emphyrio

The description of something which is not immediately pleasurable or accessible as an 'acquired taste' is commonplace, but where did the term originate? Searches in various dictionaries lead back to Joseph Addison: 'the acquirement of a taste', but not the first use of the term 'acquired taste' itself.

Can anyone help with a reference to when this term was first used, or how it originally came into being?

Thanks,

---e.

There is such a reference book, or rather set of volumns, called the OED (Oxford English Dictionary). You can check the OED out online here, but you have to be a subscriber ($); you can also check the OED out at your local college or university library.

All the best, :D