All get out

Posted by Smokey Stover on November 17, 2005

In Reply to: All get out posted by Victoria S Dennis on November 16, 2005

: : : What does "excited as all get out" mean and where does it originate?

: : I believe it's a country expression -- U.S. country. It means extremely. "That's sour as all get out." It is extremely sour. Very sour.

:
: It's used in Britain too. In my childhood in the 1960s it was quite commonplace.

Not unknown to the OED: "1. Phr. as or like (all) get-out, used to indicate a high degree of something.
1838 J. C. NEAL Charcoal Sks. 12 We look as elegant and as beautiful as get out. 1869 W. C. HAZLITT Eng. Proverbs 60 As common as get out. Cornw. 1881 J. SARGISSON Joe Scoap's Jurneh 119 He glooart at meh as impident as git oot. 1884 'MARK TWAIN' Huck. Finn xviii, We got to dig in like all git-out. 1916 H. L. WILSON Somewhere in Red Gap v. 197 When I got into the parlour she had them on, pleased as all get-out...." SS