[Ads-l] Quote: Hard work never killed anyone but some of us don=?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=99t_?=like to take chances

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Fri Jan 24 17:52:13 UTC 2020


I initiated a thread about the joke in the subject line way back in
August 2011. Bill Mullins located and shared a 1945 instance. Barry
Popik created an entry on his website in April 2012 with a 1956
instance. The Yale Book of Quotations (YBQ) noted that Edgar Bergen's
dummy character Charlie McCarthy had been credited with the joke in a
1984 book.

The newly posted QI article presents a 1936 citation.
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2020/01/24/work/

The YBQ presents a 1924 citation for the underlying adage "Hard work
never killed / hurt anyone". Barry presents an 1874 citation, and the
QI article presents an 1844 citation.

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2011-August/111768.html
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2011-August/111773.html
https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/hard_work_never_killed_anybody_but_why_take_a_chance_joke

Feedback welcome
Garson

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