antedating (?) coot, cooty (cootie, vermin...) 1916

[Stephen Goranson]

The previous earliest known was 1917? Here's one from 1916.

The red horizon
By Patrick MacGill (1889 or 1890-1963) 1916 (London, New York, and Toronto
eds.)
MacGill dedicated the book to his unit, the London Irish Rifles.
Page 196 (Google)
Bill sat upright rubbing his chest.
"What's wrong?"..
"...Everythink," he answered. "There are platoons of intruders on my shirt,
sappin' and diggin' trenches and Lord knows wot!"
"Verminous, Bill?"
"Cooty as 'ell," he said. "But wait till I go back to England. I'll go into a
beershop and get a pint, a gallon, a barrel--"
"A hogshead," I prompted.
"I've got one; my own napper's an 'og's 'ead," said Bill.
"When I get the beer I'll capture a coot, a big bull coot, an' make 'im
drunk,"
he continued. "When he's in a fighting mood I'll put him inside my shirt an'
cut 'im amok. There'll be rucktions; 'e'll charge the others...."
"
Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

http://books.google.com/books?id=QA81AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA196&dq=cooty+as&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1915&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1916&as_brr=0

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