1881 Joel Chandler Harris Uncle Remus"Howsomever, dey 'ranged der 'fairs, en splained der bizness."
1905 R. F. Foster "In Self Defence" in ''The Bookman, vol. 21."Why, Lor' bless you, I never knew nothing about the rights of them things till you splained them to me yesterday, boss."
1947 John Avery Lomax Adventures of a Ballad Hunter p. 195"Den," he confided, "I 'splained to de release man 'bout lookin' fur a settin'-down job, an' he jes' sorta motioned to de do'."
