The BBC is going to do a programme on the origins of words (maybe they’ll have a bit on the Malay origins of “ketchup” and “compound”), and they’re looking for the earliest dated “sightings” of a few nifty words and phrases, since the OED is equally stumped. Among the list are “back to square one”, “handbags at dawn”, “on the pull”, and “nutmeg” (in the football/soccer sense)
And my favourite one, since I have it emblazoned in big letters on a T-shirt: “phwoar”.