[Ads-l] To unscrew the inscrutable

[Jonathan Lighter]

1896 _Mohave County Miner_ (Kingman, Ariz.) (July 18)  [4] [GenealogyBank]:
While in St. Louis K[illegible] St. Charles will try to unscrew the
unscrutable [sic] ways of  some moss back populists.

1896 _Hoisington [Kans.] Dispatch_  (July 23)  [4] [Newspapers.com]:  You
might as well try to unscrew the inscrutable as to predict what that gang
at St. Louis will do.

1912 _New-York Tribune_  (Feb. 18) IV 2: [Newspapers.com] : Brethren and
sistern, Ah am going to preach to you to-day the most wonderfulest sermon
that ever was preached. Ah am going to explain the inexplicable. Ah am
going to define the indefinable, and Ah am going to unscrew the inscrutable.

1914 _Steuben Republican_ (Angola, Ind.) (Oct. 21) 4 [Newspapers.com]: The
democratic triumvirate is coming to Angola tomorrow, and in paraphrased
terms of the old darkey preacher, Mr. O'Brien will attempt to "explain the
inexplicable." Mr. Ralston will "defend the indefensible," and Tom Taggart
will "unscrew the inscrutable."

And many more variations.

I personally prefer "unscrutable."

JL

On Tue, Sep 27, 2005 at 6:30 PM Mullins, Bill <Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil>
wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> Subject:      Re: To unscrew the inscrutable
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> earliest I find . . . .
>
> "America First! (From the Hartford Courant)"
> The North American Review (1821-1940); Oct 1915; VOL. CCII., NO. 719;
> APS Online
> pg. 614
>
> "We are reminded of Emerson's remark to one in some fury of contention,
> "Why so hot, my little man?" and of the colored brother -- also preacher
> -- who announced his purpose in the sermon of the morning, "to explain
> the unexplainable and to unscrew the inscrutable things." "
>
>
> "Heliograms"
> Winnipeg | Manitoba Free Press | 1916-08-11 p. 9 col 6.
> "Of course he don't come right out and claim that he can do the undoable
> or unscrew the inscrutable, but take it from an old timer now if he
> can't turn the trick."
>
>
>
> An interesting variation:
>
> "English Literature:  Themes and Variations"  by Kent Biffle, Dallas
> Morning News,  Mar 13 1977, Sec G p. 6.
> "Who can unscrew the inscrutable Oriental?"
>
>

-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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