Saying: The man who drinks whiskey before he is forty is a fool . . .

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

In other books of the time period there are examples of
"blankety-blank fool", "blank, blank fool!" and "blank fool". I think
it is plausible that this instance of "blank fool" fits the OED
definition for blank as a substitute for an oath. However, "blank" as
a variant of "plain" is an interesting possibility.

OED blank, n.
[Begin excerpt]
 12. b. Used euphemistically as a verbal representation of a dash put
instead of an oath or profane word. Cf. blank v. 5c. So (as adjectives
or adverbs) blankety /ˈblæŋkɪtɪ/ which represents an adj. derivative,
such as bloody; less freq. blanked /blæŋkt/ , blanky /ˈblæŋkɪ/

1854   ‘C. Bede’ Further Adventures Mr. Verdant Green (ed. 2) iv. 28,
 I wouldn't give a blank for such a blank blank. I'm blank, if he
don't look as though he'd swaller'd a blank codfish.

1874   M. Clarke His Nat. Life II. iii. xiii. 236   ‘My blank!’ cried
Burgess. ‘You blank blank, is that your blank game? I'll blank soon
cure you of that!’
[End excerpt]

Some Google Books raw matches.

National Magazine - Volume 21 - Page 399
books.google.com/books?id=kJnNAAAAMAAJ
Arthur Wellington Brayley, ‎Arthur Wilson Tarbell, ‎Joe Mitchell Chapple - 1905
[Begin excerpt]
... to quit his drinking, and his swearing, and his lying, and his — "
Here old Joe broke in with a drawl and nasal twang, "Hold on, Mr.
Preacher; that's all right, but there ain't a bit of use of your
making a blankety-blank fool of yourself about it.
[Begin excerpt]


The Compromises of Life: And Other Lectures and Addresses, ... - Page 159
books.google.com/books?id=OXYXAAAAYAAJ
Henry Watterson - 1906
[Begin excerpt]
"Did Stanton say I was a fool?" said Lincoln. "Yes," replied his
friend, "he said you were a blank, blank fool !" Lincoln looked first
good-humoredly at his friend and then furtively out of the window in
the direction of the War Department, and ...
[Begin excerpt]

Jack Spurlock--prodigal - Page 309
books.google.com/books?id=8o4pAAAAYAAJ
George Horace Lorimer - 1908
[Begin excerpt]
"What do I mean by that, suh? What do I mean by that?" the Major
roared. "I mean, suh, that you are a blank fool; that any man who
could even entertain the thought of givin' up the blankest,
beautifullest creature on earth, has no dashed heart; ...
[Begin excerpt]


On Wed, Sep 4, 2013 at 6:28 PM, Wilson Gray <hwgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Saying: The man who drinks whiskey before he is forty is a
>               fool . . .
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Wed, Sep 4, 2013 at 4:03 AM, Hugo <hugovk at gmail.com> cited:
>
>> a _blank_ fool
>
>
> Related to =E2=80=9Cblankety-blank=E2=80=9D? To =E2=80=9Cplain=E2=80=9D?
> --=20
> -Wilson
> -----
> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> -Mark Twain
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
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