put foot in mouth

[Garson O'Toole]

Michael Sheehan wrote:
> Interested in the origin of  "putting your foot in your mouth." Not interes=
> ted in "foot in mouth disease."

The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (1997) has an entry for
"put one's foot in one's mouth": Say something foolish, embarrassing,
or tactless. AHDI says the expression "dates from around 1900."

http://books.google.com/books?id=9re1vfFh04sC&q=%22or+tactless%22#v=snippet&

The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches (2006) has an entry that
combines a discussion of "put one's foot in it" and "put one foot in
one's mouth". A cite to P. W. Joyce's English As We Speak It (1910) is
given.

http://books.google.com/books?id=8oeJ8IuAzD8C&q=blundering#v=snippet&


Here is a funny variation on the idea in 1890 in the humor magazine
Puck (found during a quick incomplete search):

Cite: 1890 June 18, Puck, Cartoons and Comments, Page 258, Keppler &
Schwarzmann, New York.

... The baby had finished his bottle. He had kicked off one sock, and
had most of his bare foot in his mouth. "My son," said Mr. Scribulus,
sadly, "in your present posture you remind me strongly of the orator
who founds his eloquence on my editorials."

http://books.google.com/books?id=WbEiAQAAMAAJ&q=%22foot+in%22#v=snippet&

Garson

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