Q: Selling the skin before the bear was caught

[Joel S. Berson]

Well, on-list.  But thanks anyway.

At 8/20/2008 02:42 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>Thanks [off-list].  Now I'll know where to look when it won't be in
>the excellent Yale Book of Quotations.
>
>Joel
>
>At 8/20/2008 01:47 PM, Charles Doyle wrote:
>>B. J. Whiting's _Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Sayings_
>>gives examples that are dated 1748 and 1750 (#B81).
>>
>>--Charlie
>>_____________________________________________________________
>>
>>---- 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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