Antedating of "Bat Out of Hell"

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Wed, Apr 11, 2007 at 10:01:54AM -0400, Fred Shapiro wrote:
> bat out of hell (OED 1921, HDAS 1909)
>
> 1906 _The Cosmopolitan_ May [article beginning on page 81] (American
> Periodical Series)  A peon shot back the bolt of the bull-pen door and in
> poured the bull like a bat out of hell.

p. 85/2, for those following along at home.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED

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