McCoovy t1_japstxp wrote on March 3, 2023 at 4:19 AM Reply to comment by Greene_Mr in TIL "to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps" is an example of an impossible task. The idiom dates at least to 1834, from the Workingman's Advocate: "It is conjectured that Mr. Murphee will now be enabled to hand himself over the Cumberland river or a barn yard fence by the straps of his boots. by meat-juice So did mozart. You can take my copy of ragged dick from my cold dead hands. Permalink Parent 1
McCoovy t1_japstxp wrote
Reply to comment by Greene_Mr in TIL "to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps" is an example of an impossible task. The idiom dates at least to 1834, from the Workingman's Advocate: "It is conjectured that Mr. Murphee will now be enabled to hand himself over the Cumberland river or a barn yard fence by the straps of his boots. by meat-juice
So did mozart. You can take my copy of ragged dick from my cold dead hands.