"Unless you've been living in an underground hole, you've heard..." (1959)

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"UNLESS YOU'VE BEEN LIVING IN AN UNDERGROUND HOLE, YOU'VE HEARD THE NEWS THAT..."

   This is a cliche meaning that everyone's heard of the following topic of discussion.  It's sometimes "unless you've been living on Mars," sometimes "unless you've been living under a rock," sometimes "unless you've been living in a cave," sometimes "unless you've been hiding in an underground hole."
   Jon Stewart began THE DAILY SHOW on Monday with this cliche.  "Unless you've been living in an underground hole, you've heard that former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was captured," Stewart started his satiric newscast.  "And if you HAVE been living in an underground hole..."
   The "unless you've been living in a cave" is used nowadays with similar double entendre.
   The phrase has not thus far been recorded, AFAIK.   THE SPORTING NEWS was actually helpful with this one, but most of its readers seem to be living in closets.


(PAPER OF RECORD)
   29 April 1959, SPORTING NEWS, pg. 12, col. 1:
   "Unless you've spent the last month on a slow boat from Outer Mongolia, The Moose's girdles are no gag."

   21 February 1981, SPORTING NEWS, pg. 23, col. 2:
   Unless you've been living in a closet, you've read the stories or heard about the alleged cheating at Wichita State.

   4 April 1988, SPORTING NEWS, pg. 20, col. 1:
   Unless you've been living in a closet, you know that Oklahoma's Harvey Grant is the twin brother of former Clemson standout and current Chicago Bulls forward Horace Grant,...


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
One-Stop Charters: If You Want To Be Part of the Group
By Steve Schatt. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington, D.C.: Jun 13, 1976. p. 181 (1 page):
   Unless you've been hibernating, it will come as no surprise to learn that fares are higher this year than last.

Thinking Things Over; The Commentator
By VERMONT ROYSTER. Wall Street Journal (1889-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Dec 7, 1977. p. 24 (1 page):
   Unless you've been visiting on Mars these past 10 days you must know that Eric Sevareid has retired.

Hildegard Defies Time and the Devil; On New Recordings, Hildegard, at 900, Defies Time and the Devil
By CORI ELLISON. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Jul 5, 1998. p. AR24 (2 pages):
   Unless you've been dwelling under a rock, the name of this 12th-century German abbess should at least sound vaguely familiar by now.

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SKY HOOK

STAND TALL:
THE LEW ALCINDOR STORY
by Phil Pepe
New York: Grosset & Dunlop
First printing September 1970

   I didn't have much time to read this (the NYPL first brought me the wrong book).  However, I did NOT see "sky hook" on page 188, for example, where it should have been.  January 1971--what we have--isn't a bad date for "sky hook."

Pg. 188:  "Only God can stop his hook shot."
(Jon McGlocklin, Bucks' guard--ed.)

Pg. 188:  ...he would throw in a hook shot with no more emotion than he showed tying his shoelace.  And each time he threw in a hook shot, he would bring the Milwaukee Bucks closer to the realization of their impossible dream.