Where does the phrase 'dern tootin' come from?

Answer 1

The first listing I can find is in 1908, but it's probably been around since the Old West. "Tooting" probably refers to "tooting your own horn" or announcing some sort of news about yourself. "Dern," also spelled "durn" or "darn" is a more polite way of saying d*mn, and was quite commonly used in the Old West. In the US, especially in the South and Southwest, you will hear someone use this term to mean "absolutely," or "that is totally correct." * Billy Bob: Are you going to take Mary Sue to the movies? * Bobby Joe: You're dern tootin' I am!