News7 mins ago
"I can't be doing with ..."
2 Answers
Where did this expression come from? When did it start?
Answers
1 to 2 of 2
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by thewillow. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
The idea of 'to do with' in the sense of 'tolerate/put up with' first appears in Jane Austen's 'Emma', published in 1815. I cannot, however, vouch for an earliest date for the form: "I can't be doing with", though that is obviously just a variant.
'To do with' in the sense of 'deal with/relate to' etc...as in 'that has nothing to do with me'...is much older.
1 to 2 of 2
