Zinger: My dear, the final 't' is silent as in Harlow (1945)

[Garson O'Toole]

An anecdote featuring Margot Asquith and Jean Harlow climaxes with a
zinger from Asquith. The Yale Book of Quotations, the Oxford
Dictionary of Quotations, and Cassell's Humorous Quotations each give
a 1973 citation for the story. Here is a version of the tale in 1945:

Cite: 1945 July 31, Springfield Republican, Lady Asquith, Page 6,
Column 3, Springfield, Massachusetts. (GenealogyBank)
[Begin excerpt]
There was also the story, possibly apocryphal but certainly
characteristic, of her visit to Hollywood. She was described as
encountering a popular young screen actress of the period who insisted
on addressing her as "Margot," ignorantly pronouncing the final
letter. After this had happened several times Lady Asquith riposted,
"My dear, the final 't' is silent as in Harlow."
[End excerpt]


Cite: 1948, Mixed Grill by Sir George Leveson Gower, [Second and
enlarged edition 1948; first edition was 1947], Page 52, Frederick
Muller Ltd., London. (Verified on paper)
[Begin excerpt]
JEAN HARLOW, a pretty young film star, was a friend of Anthony
Asquith, who is a film producer. She asked Margot to call her "Jean",
and presently asked whether she might call her "Margot", (rhyming to
forgot"). "Certainly not!" "But why not? Of course I know that you are
older than me and more important; but still - as you call me 'Jean' .
. ." "That's not the reason." "But, then, what is it?" "Because it's
not my name." "But I see you everywhere described so." " Yes, but not
pronounced so. It should be 'Margo', without the 't'; just as your own
name is 'Harlow'."
[End excerpt]


Cite: 1965 June 03, San Mateo Times, Lyons Den by Leonard Lyons, Page
32, Column 2, [GNB Page 38], San Mateo, California. (GenealogyBank)
[Begin excerpt]
One of the Jean Harlow legends in London is about her being introduced
to Margot Asquith. Miss Harlow immediately starting addressing her by
her first name, and mispronounced it as "Margott." It was, "Believe
me, Margott," and "I tell you. Margott." The British lady resented
this informality and said: "It's Margo. The 't' is silent — as in
Harlow."
[End excerpt]


Nigel Rees, Fred Shapiro and others have mentioned the possibility
that the anecdote was based on an encounter between Jean Harlow and a
different Margot, i.e., Margot Grahame instead of Margot Asquith. Here
is a relevant citation in 1995:

Cite 1995: Hollywood Babble On: Stars Gossip About Stars by Boze
Hadleigh, Page 52, Birch Lane Press Book of Carol Publishing Group,
Secaucus, New Jersey. (Verified on paper)
[Begin excerpt]
If you must know, I was a platinum blond bombshell before Jean Harlow
was. I went to Hollywood [from England], and there I met Miss Harlow.
Now, my first name is pronounced Margo, but twice Miss Harlow
mispronounced it Margott, with a t. I really had nothing against her,
but I must have been irritated, for I said, "It's pronounced Margo.
The t is silent-as in your last name...."
-Margot Grahame
[End excerpt]

Garson

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