Q: Selling the skin before the bear was caught

[Charles Doyle]

B. J. Whiting's _Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Sayings_ gives examples that are dated 1748 and 1750 (#B81).

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:47:49 -0400
>From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>Subject: Q:  Selling the skin before the bear was caught
>
>I am interested in the earliest appearance in English of the
>expression "selling the skin before the bear was caught".  Google Books tells me it's in Grose's _Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue_ in 1785, and that's my only hit for 1500-1785.  I may be able to turn up a use from 1767.
>
>Joel
>

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