Put your money where your mouth

Posted by Victoria S Dennis September 30, 2009 at 18:44In reply to Put your money where your mouth posted by Chai Diva on September 29, 2009 at 06:13:

Where did the saying 'put your money where your mouth is' originate? Also how long ago was it originated, and who came up with the phrase?

The imagery is from betting. Suppose I assure you that a given horse is bound to win this afternoon's race; you challenge me whether I will put my money where my mouth is - that is, am I willing to risk my own money on this horse that I am advising others to bet on? According to Collins's Dictionary of Slang, it dates from the 1940s. There is no known author. (VSD)