Not even X, much more Y [was: re: gill (verb) = laugh]

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>>        "Haw, haw, haw," gilled Parkins, "yaw couldn't even turn a
>>nickle over in your hand, much more turn a ball game."....'
>I find the last part of Parkins's quote even more interesting, given
>my research interests.  "(not even x) much more y" in place of "much
>less y"?  Was/Is this widely attested?

I've surely seen it repeatedly in books, even reasonably well-written material.

Also analogous confusions like this:

"If this is frequent in novels, how much more frequent must it be in
newspaper columns?"

"If this is frequent in novels, how much less frequent could it be in
newspaper columns?"

(*)"If this is frequent in novels, how much more frequent could it be in
newspaper columns?"

(*)"If this is frequent in novels, how much less frequent must it be in
newspaper columns?"

-- Doug Wilson