Posted by SR on October 14, 2004 In Reply to: Re: Digging a hole
to China posted by David FG on October 14, 2004 : : Thoreau used
this phrase in the 1850s about a hole his neighbors were
digging. What is the origin of this expression? Does anyone know
of an earlier usage than Thoreau's? : In the UK the expression
is 'to Australia' (for fairly obvious reasons it is different
from the US). It is used when a hole is so deep that it is
(humorously) supposed to be going to go right through the earth
and come out the other side. Once I asked some students, "If it
takes six and a half hours to dig a hole, how long does it take
to dig half a hole?" I was surprised at some of the responses.