I always associated the phrase with American actor John Wayne:

In his last movie (The Shootist, 1976), he refers to whiskey as "Who Hit John". A number of years later, I was reading a book about Wayne (can't remember the title, sorry) and it seems the phrase was one he used in his private life to refer to booze. Adding it to the script of the movie was a sort of inside joke.

I never knew it had other origins. Interesting.


Jay