Origin of "Knock your socks off"

Posted by Marian on May 01, 2002

In Reply to: Origin of "Knock your socks off" posted by Word Camel on April 29, 2002

: : : I can't seem to find the origin of this phrase. I'm thinking of the meaning "to impress", not "to fight". Any help would be greatly appreciated.

: : No help on the origin of knocking someone's socks off, but I think it *only* means to impress or amaze. "To fight" is covered off by the expressions "to knock someone's block off", or maybe "to knock someone into next week" or "to knock someone right out of his shoes(boots)".

: I have heard that people struck by cars are knocked out of their shoes. This might be an urban legend, however, aimed at explaining the lone shoes one sees when driving on highways.

I wonder if it's an old advertising slogan.