Fish or cut bait

[Thomas J Dean]

Dear Bapopik,
        Thank you for the information below.  The person who has
challenged my interpretation of this phrase thinks that the "cut
bait" portion referred originally to cutting the bait from one's line,
whereas I suspect it referred to someone who sat by simply preparing bait.
Does your source clarify the original meaning or context of the adaage?
        T. Dean

On Sun, 28 May 2000 Bapopik at aol.com wrote:
>      Christian Ammer's AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS and Wolfgang
> Meider's DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN PROVERBS both cite "fish or cut bait" from
> the 1876 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, when Congressman Joseph P. Cannon called for a
> vote on a bill.
>     The Making of America database has a later hit, but this hints at a Civil
> War origin.  I'm away from my Civil War database right now.
>     L. H. Clark, MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY (NY): THE COUNTY IN THE
> CIVIL WAR (1883), pg. 309:
>
>     Captain Lackey...expressed his patriotism, by stating that he was willing
> to either fish or cut bait, but as all could not fish or fight, he proposed
> to give two dollars apiece to each of fifty volunteers.
>     This speech alleged occurred on April 23, 1861.
>     The NBA playoffs is described as "win or go home," which is much the same
> thing.
>      "The die is cast" does indeed go back to the Latin.