1983/1984 "the full Monty" antedating

[Stephen Goranson]

OED online has 1985 as the first quote for "full monty," though see the "app.
implied" 1982 use noted in the etymology section:
[< FULL adj. + monty (origin unknown).
  Many theories are proposed as to the origin of this phrase, but none of them
is supported by reliable historical evidence. Perh. the most plausible is that
it is from a colloquial shortening of the name of Montague Maurice Burton
(1885-1952), men's tailor, and referred originally to the purchase of a
complete three-piece suit. Also popular but unsubstantiated is the belief that
the phrase is somehow derived from Monty, the nickname of Field Marshal
Bernard
Law Montgomery (1887-1976). However, the sheer variety of often vague, purely
anecdotal, and mutually contradictory explanations for the
connection{em}ranging from his wartime briefing style to his breakfasting
habits{em}renders this less credible. Other suggestions, including references
to MONTY n. and MONTE n.1, are still more speculative.
  Earlier currency is app. implied by the following names of fish and chip
shops:
  1982 Yellow Pages: Manchester North 264/3 Full Monty Chippy The, 30 Townley
St, Middleton..Fullmonty Chippy, 61 Radclyffe St, Chadderton.]

Max Hastings, Overlord: D-Day and the Battle for Normandy (New York: Simon and
Schuster, 1984). Chapter 2 Preparations, section Invaders, page 46:
Lieutenant Andrew Wilson of The Buffs, a flamethrowing Crocodile tank unit of
the 79th Armoured Division....[found himself in] South Downs under the command
of ageing senior officers who knew nothing of war....But at the beginning of
1944, all the senior officers were abruptly removed and replaced by
others from
a quite different mould, who began training and exercising to the very
limits of
its endurance. 'We suddenly knew that we were going to be put through the full
Monty treatment.'" 1
[note 1, strictly speaking, looks like an upper right corner mark, but fits
sequentially as 1]. Endnote 1 [p. 322] "Wilson, interview with the author,
20.vi.83"

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson

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