Another Bushism

[Douglas G. Wilson]

Here are a few other instances:

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H. G. Wells, "The War in the Air":

<<And he proceeded to rout out two books and a case of maps.>>

Robert Hichens, "The Garden Of Allah":

<<His eyes seemed to rout out the secrets from every corner of her being,
and to scatter them upon the ground as the sand was scattered.>>

O. Henry, "Rolling Stones":

<<Again that frozen, shrewd, steady study of my soul from her pale-yellow,
unwinking eyes, trying to penetrate my mask of deception and rout out my
true motives from my lying lips.>>

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, "The Piccolomini":

<<Well done, father! Rout out his baggage! Beat up his quarters! there is
something there that should not be.>>

"Christian Science Monitor" (Web), 21 March 2000:

<<Professors struggle to rout out rudeness>> [article title]

BBC News, 23 Aug. 1999 (Web):

<<Surely the Edinburgh Festival remains a massive success, with ever
increasing box office receipts and an intact reputation for routing out
fresh talent.>>

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It doesn't look regional or restricted or Bushistical to me.

It is my impression that "rout [out]" and "root [out]" existed as synonyms
(like "dig [out]") long before the word "router" (tool) appeared.

-- Doug Wilson