know from/Texas

[Fritz Juengling]

Do we have to attribute this locution in south texas to Yiddish influence?
there were large numbers of Germans who immigrated to Texas (There is even an
impressive "Linguistic Atlas of Texas German").  Where is New Braunfels in
relation to where you are from?
Fritz

> I am familiar with the locution from at least the 40s, in South Texas,
> almost always used somewhat jocularly in the deliberately informal "-g
> dropping" pronunciation of "nothing" in the fixed phrase: "He don't know
> from nothin'". The only likelihood of Yiddish influence in South Texas
> would be via radio programs (Fibber McGee & Molly, Jack Benny, etc.) The
> collocation can be a condensation of "He doesn't know X from Y" (X =
> anything, Y = a hole in the ground, etc.).
>
>         Rudy