Posted by Li Yar on February 05, 2004
In Reply to: Re: Chewed out posted by ESC on February 05, 2004
: : where did the phrase "chewed my ass out" come from?
: I don't know. But I can tell you that one reference says it dates back to 1946 and originated in the U.S. ("Oxford Dictionary of Slang" by John Ayto (Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York, 1999)
: I'm going to guess that it refers to some drill sergeant who was chewing on a soldier like a dog chews on someone.
"I heard that every expression ever used originated in the USA, whether in English (misnoma), Spanish (New Mexico), French (Cajuns), German & Dutch (Noo Yoirk). I am surprised that the world even existed before 1492, let alone spoke."+
When common-place expression uses simple words in an obvious context, I think it unlikely that it took until 1946 for anybody to use it.
+ from "If I ruled the word" Chapter 2 of the collected musings of Li Yar with a forward by William Shakespeare.