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The Antedating Machine, by analysing the tiniest perturbations in the atmosphere, could pinpoint where and when in history a phrase was first uttered.
Etymologists flocked to it, but were quickly disillusioned. It turned out that everything famous first came out of the mouth of someone not famous. Half of what we thought was Shakespeare was fifty years older than him.
In the end, the Machine got sold to defamation lawyers.
