[Ads-l] pour [substance] from a boot, etc., antedated (Corrected email)

[James Eric Lawson]

Not enough Coffey.

OED 1912 (entry updated; mod. version June 2022), from J. Lighter HDAS
collection?

1883 *The Atchison *(Kansas) *Daily Champion* 05 May 3/3
(newspapers.com) Of course a man *cun* vote who don't know the letter B
from an ox yoke; who don't know enough to pour rain water out of a boot
without chopping the toe off; but he is not a very elegant or impressive
article of voter.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114774724/pour-something-out-of-a-boot/

1890 *News-Broad-Ax* (Coffeyville, Kansas) 11 Sep 3/6 (newspapers.com)
The would-be editor hasn't sense enough to pour water out of a boot
without directions.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114775194/pour-something-out-of-a-boot-without/

1891 *The Kansas City Kansas Republic* 12 Nov 2/1 (newspapers.com) A
man, to make a good juryman, is not supposed to know enough to pour
water out of a boot, without having the directions marked on the heel.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114775352/pour-something-out-of-a-boot-with/

1898 *The Morning Republican* (Bedford, Indiana) 09 May 4/2
(newspapers.com) However they can't ship the responsibility of that to
the "citizens" for any kid that had sense enough to pour sand out of a
boot saw in that trick the ear marks of a defeated, cowardly,
vindicative competitor.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114775562/pour-something-out-of-a-boot/

1899 *Oakdale *(California) *Leader* 14 Apr 5/3 (newspapers.com) Whit
says if he had had sense enough to pour sand out of a boot without
cutting a hole in it he would have been a bloated capitalist to-day from
his lemon crop alone.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114775814/pour-something-out-of-a-boot-without/

1901 *Hanford *(California) *Kings County Sentinel* 18 Jul 2/2
(newspapers.com) Now, any schoolboy with sense enough to pour water out
of a boot, with the directions printed on the sole, knows what a microbe
is, and I am astonished that even a quack dispenser of calomel and
quinine should ask such a question.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114775987/pour-something-out-of-a-boot-with/

-- 
James Eric Lawson

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org