"Presss" is either what a snake is thinking as it methodically squeezes the life out of its intended prey, or the onomatopoetic sound an iron might make if left in the down position a bit too long. (It occurs to me that an enterprising, if absentminded, laundress could salvage a bundle of scorched T-shirts, and probably make a bundle besides, by stenciling the word IRONY on each one of them.) A "high probability" typo on the Ballard list, Presss* shows up in OhioLINK 110 times, although it isn't quite the pressing problem it appears to be, since only about half of them turn out to be actual typos. The rest are examples of the possessive press's or else properly rendered words in German. (Editorial cartoon concerning the Copperhead Party from Harper's Magazine, February 28, 1863.)Carol Reid
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