Big BookAlcoholics Anonymous · the Twelve and Twelve

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Glossary

prospect

noun; verb · read in Alcoholics Anonymous (1939)

In context

Here was a prospect all right but, by the description, none too promising. The use of spiritual principles in such cases was not so well understood as it is now. But one of the friends said, “Put him in a private room. We’ll be down.” BB p.156 ¶5

Here: A person who is a candidate for A.A.'s help: an alcoholic singled out as someone to be approached with the message. Here the nurse's "first-class alcoholic prospect" is the hospital patient described, "none too promising" because of his condition and history.

In 1939 prospect was already an established word for "a prospective customer, contestant, candidate, applicant, etc." Webster's Collegiate (5th ed., 1939 printing) lists this as sense 5, after the older senses of a view, an outlook, and a looking forward. Webster's Revised Unabridged (1913) and Webster's 1828 give only the view and expectation senses ("ground for hope or expectation"). The 1913 and 1828 entries show the word's older meaning, and the Collegiate shows the newer meaning of a person who might be won. I can't tell from these entries when the personal sense came in. The Collegiate also lists a mining sense, a deposit not yet proved, and the verb to prospect, to explore for something.

That sense has not changed much. Today it still means a potential client, buyer or recruit, and the American Heritage entry in the material gives "A potential customer, client, or purchaser." Wiktionary adds sports and music uses that were not in view in 1939. What has faded is the word's ordinary use for a view or landscape. A modern reader may not hear that the person is being treated as a hopeful lead.

The word fits the passage because the book's authors came from business and the sales floor. A prospect is someone you look over before you approach, and also someone whose chances are in doubt. Both ideas meet in "none too promising", where the idea of expectation in the older sense works with the newer sense of a candidate. The word also shows the early Fellowship's approach: find a man who needs help, learn about him, and judge whether he is ready.

Usages

Written by Claude (sonnet) from the dictionaries and passages of the lookup; every quotation in it was checked against them, and what could not be found was left out. A study aid, not a source.

The dictionaries of 1939

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Prospect \Pros′pect, n. [L. prospectus, fr. prospicere, prospectum, to look forward; pro before, forward + specere, spicere, look, to see: cf. OF. prospect. See Spy, v., and cf. Prospectus.]

  1. That which is embraced by eye in vision; the region which the eye overlooks at one time; view; scene; outlook. His eye discovers unaware The goodly prospect of some foreign land. —Milton.
  2. Especially, a picturesque or widely extended view; a landscape; hence, a sketch of a landscape. I went to Putney . . . to take prospects in crayon. —Evelyn.
  3. A position affording a fine view; a lookout. [R.] Him God beholding from his prospect high. —Milton.
  4. Relative position of the front of a building or other structure; face; relative aspect. And their prospect was toward the south. —Ezek. xl. 44.
  5. The act of looking forward; foresight; anticipation; as, a prospect of the future state. —Locke. Is he a prudent man as to his temporal estate, that lays designs only for a day, without any prospect to, or provision for, the remaining part of life ? —Tillotson.
  6. That which is hoped for; ground for hope or expectation; expectation; probable result; as, the prospect of success. "To brighter prospects born." —Cowper. These swell their prospectsd exalt their pride, When offers are disdain'd, and love deny'd. —Pope.

Prospect \Pros′pect, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prospected; p. pr. & vb. n. Prospecting.] To look over; to explore or examine for something; as, to prospect a district for gold.

Prospect \Pros′pect, v. i. To make a search; to seek; to explore, as for mines or the like; as, to prospect for gold.

— Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), the [1913 Webster] text of GCIDE on dict.org

The dictionary on a 1939 desk was Webster's Second New International (1934), in copyright until 2030; the Collegiate above is its 1939 abridgment, from a local scan. Webster's Revised Unabridged (1913) is the nearest public-domain dictionary.

Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language (1828)

PROS'PECT, noun [Latin prospectus, prospicio, to look forward; pro and specio, to see.] 1., View of things within the reach of the eye. Eden and all the coast in prospect lay. 2., prospect View of things to come; intellectual sight; expectation. The good man enjoys the prospect of future felicity. 3., prospect That which is presented to the eye; the place and the objects seen. There is a noble prospect from the dome of the state house in Boston, a prospect diversified with land and water, and every thing that can please the eye. 4., Object of view. Man to himself Is a large prospect 5., View delineated or painted; picturesque representation of a landscape. 6., Place which affords an extended view. 7., prospect Position of the front of a building; as a prospect towards the south or north. Ezekiel 40:44 . 8., prospect Expectation, or ground of expectation. There is a prospect of a good harvest. A man has a prospect of preferment; or he has little prospect of success. 9., A looking forward; a regard to something future. Is he a prudent man as to his temporal estate, who lays designs only for a day, without any prospect to or provision for the remaining part of life? [ Little Used .] — Webster's 1828

WordNet 3.0 (Princeton, 2006)

  • noun 1: the possibility of future success — “his prospects as a writer are excellent” [syn: prospect, chance]
  • noun 2: belief about (or mental picture of) the future [syn: expectation, outlook, prospect]
  • noun 3: someone who is considered for something (for an office or prize or honor etc.) [syn: candidate, prospect]
  • noun 4: the visual percept of a region — “the most desirable feature of the park are the beautiful views” [syn: view, aspect, prospect, scene, vista, panorama]
  • noun 5: a prediction of the course of a disease [syn: prognosis, prospect, medical prognosis]
  • verb 1: search for something desirable — “prospect a job”
  • verb 2: explore for useful or valuable things or substances, such as minerals

— WordNet 3.0 on dict.org

In the Book 28

Alcoholics Anonymous 18

In the personal stories 5

The Man Who Mastered Fear

  • BB p.252 ¶2 The rest of my time was devoted to A.A. spadework. I wanted “ripe” prospects, and I didn’t feel that I would get very far chasing individual drunks in and out of bars. So I spent much…
  • BB p.253 …to every friend who would listen, at lunch, at dinner, on street corners. A doctor tipped me off to my first prospect. I landed him and shipped him by train to Akron, with a pint of whiskey in his pocket to keep him from…
  • BB p.254 ¶1 …immediate command. I, who had never made a speech in my life and who would have been frightened sick at the prospect, stood up in front of Rotary groups in different parts of the city and talked about Alcoholics Anonymous. I,…

He Sold Himself Short

  • BB p.265 ¶3 …a young man, immediately took fire with the idea, and while he did not convince the son, he turned over two prospects who were anxious for
  • BB p.266 the program. The three of us did not feel up to the job, and after a few meetings we convinced the prospects that they, too, should go to Akron where they could see an older group in action.

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions 10

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