Digging a hole to China/ half-way

Posted by SR October 14, 2004In reply to 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.