"A hole in the ground" (1851, 1853)

[Jonathan Lighter]

Very kewl, Barry.

  "The muzzle of a gun" and "himself" both bear some resemblance to the more "fundamental" version.

  JL

Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
Subject: "A hole in the ground" (1851, 1853)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_LETTER FROM "CURNILL JINKS."_
(http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=5&did=792878762&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1155
095671&clientId=65882)
J J J Jr. Spirit of the Times; A Chronicle of the Turf, Agriculture, Field
Sports, Literature and the Stage (1835-1861). New York: Nov 8, 1851. Vol. 21,
Iss. 38; p. 453 (1 page)
...
He couldn't tell the muzzle of a gun from a hole in the ground, and how in
the name of sense could you spect him to teach the young idea how to _shoot_?
...
...
...
28 July 1853, Kenosha (WI) Tribune:
8 August 1853, Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, PA), pg. 1, col. 4:
It would be very difficult to say whether Mr. Parker knew himself from "a
hole in the ground" about this juncture.

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