University of Oxford? Theresa Russell? Edna Worthley Underwood? Anonymous?

Question for Quote Investigator: I have been told with the highest level of confidentiality that the following comical definition has been employed at the University of Oxford:
Secret: You may tell it to only one person at a time.
Would you please explore the provenance of this quip?
Reply from Quote Investigator: The earliest match located by QI appeared in multiple U.S. newspapers in 1905. The joke was grouped together with several other humorous definitions, and no attribution was given. Here is a sampling of four items. Boldface added to excerpts by QI:1
Eternity: Two hours of waiting in a dentist’s office.
Heathen: Anyone who does not profess the religion you don’t profess.
Secrecy: The art of telling a thing to only one person at a time.
Error: The mistaken act of another.
The text above was printed in “The Times-Democrat” of New Orleans, Louisiana. The same definitions appeared in “The Lexington Herald” of Lexington, Kentucky,2 “The Sunday Gazette and Telegraph” of Colorado Springs, Colorado,3 and other newspapers.
Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.
Continue reading “Quote Origin: Secrecy: The Art of Telling a Thing To Only One Person At a Time”