“cat for to make kitten britches”

[Garson O'Toole]

Jesse Sheidlower wrote:
> Just FYI, I wrote the entries in what subsequently came to be called
> "The Mavens' Word of the Day" up to August 1999 or so (it was called
> "Jesse's Word of the Day" until then).
>
> I have no idea right now where I got the dating info--is it in DARE? I'm
> out of the country and can't easily check.

I remember the wonderful blog/service vividly. You once answered a
question I sent back in the 1990s. Thanks to you and later the other
mavens for sharing your knowledge.
Garson

>> [Begin excerpt]
>> Although hard evidence is lacking, the expression cat's fur to make
>> kitten britches seems to date back to the nineteenth century. It isn't
>> specifically associated with any region of the country.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> In a quick search I found a citation on the edge of the century. Typos
>> are likely in this dialect-heavy excerpt:
>>
>> Cite: 1900 September 23, Rockford Morning Star [Morning Star],
>> "Crankisms": Some Thoughts on Equal Suffrage by J.K.B., Page 2,
>> Rockford, Illinois. (GenealogyBank)
>>
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> "Lookee here, Jing," said Ole Pete, helping himself to a sheepnose
>> apple from an open barrel, and gumming it while he talked: "I'm a
>> thinkin' on movin' to ,Jarsey; wanter buy that kaliker hoss o' mine?"
>>
>> "Wat fur?"
>>
>> "W'y cat fur, ter make kitten britches. Wa't dy'e spose?" Shying his
>> apple core at the grocery cat who was licking the kerosene can.
>> [End excerpt]
>>
>> Garson
>>
>> On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 8:13 PM, Garson O'Toole
>> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
>> > Subject:      =?windows-1252?Q?Re=3A_=93cat_for_to_make_kitten_britches=94?=
>> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> > Michael Sheehan said:
>> >> Any idea where “cat for to make kitten britches” came from and how to
>> >> parse it?
>> >
>> > The Maven's Word of the Day examined a version of this phrase in 1996:
>> >
>> > cat's fur to make kitten britches
>> > http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19960823
>> >
>> > ------------------------------------------------------------
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>>
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>
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