Some of my best friends are Jews

[Jerome Foster]

----- Original Message -----
From: "GEORGE THOMPSON" <thompsng at ELMER4.BOBST.NYU.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: Some of my best friends are Jews


> On behalf of a friend on the faculty here:
>
> When did the expression "some of my best friend are jews" come to be
> offered as the standard marker of a speaker who was at least
> marginally prejudiced.  (Or, the parallel "Some of my best friends
> are colored.")  Robert Gessner, a mentor of hers 60+ years ago,
> published a book with this title in 1936.  Given that its subject is
> anti-semitism in Europe of the time, I suppose that the title was
> taken ironically, that the expression was already recognized as
> usually leading to a "but . . . ."  She'd like confirmation.
>
> GAT
>