Originally Posted by
FlightlessParrot
1. OED (which is generally regarded in the EngLang biz as about as reliable as you can get) says, bleakly:
Quote
None of the several colourful explanations of the origin of the expression is authenticated by contemporary printed evidence.
That's the OED in a nutshell: it has always looked for the printed evidence and is therefore out of its depth when dealing with the spoken language. No shame in that, but just don't expect anything else.
People, as opposed to equipment, certainly "went for a Burton" in period and it referred to those who were killed, and not those who died later (or naturally).