Citations:must have killed a Chinaman

English citations of must have killed a Chinaman

• 1925, L. M. Newton, The Story of the Twelfth: A Record of the 12th Battalion, page 132

  It appeared as though someone in the Battalion must have killed a Chinaman, as the weather continued rough and stormy, with strong wind.

• 1949, James Bridie, Claud Gurney, Moral Plays‎^[1]:

  SAMUELS: ...has taken off his coat and waistcoat and is looking a little anxious.
  SAMUELS: I must have killed a Chinaman! Never mind. Fats ton jeu. ...

• 1986, Eric Partridge, Paul Beale, A Dictionary of Catch Phrases: British and American, from the sixteenth century to the present day‎^[2]:

  I must have killed a Chinaman is, in Aus., applied to a run of bad luck: . It derives from a widespread belief held there. I remember hearing it among "the Aussies" in WW1.

• 1992, Maurice Shadbolt, Monday’s Warriors, page 49:

  ‘What troubles you?’ / ‘Luck. I must have killed a Chinaman. Or maybe broke a mirror.’ / ‘That needs remedy.’ / ‘You mean Maori medicine?’ Kimball asked with apprehension.

• 1999, Barry Maitland, The Chalon Heads, page 305,

  ‘It hasn′t been your week, Sammy.’

  ‘You can say that again. I reckon I must have killed a Chinaman.’

  He grins weakly at Brock, who smiles back encouragingly, and is then startled to see a small black hole appear in the centre of Starling′s forehead, followed a moment later by the ringing smack of a gunshot.

• 2004 January 14, Cycling News, “On the road to recovery - again”, (link)

  “The left hand side of my body has really been hammered the last six months; I must have killed a Chinaman in a previous life or something, I don′t know,” mused Vogels.

• 2008 April 1, Sandy, “Disasters”, in Parramatta breakaways (Google Group)‎^[3]:

  She must have killed a Chinaman. Jan not real well either.How about some cards for Jan and Diane. They are both in Concord hospital.