Ding-a-ling (1933); Sell snowplows in Hawaii (1932)

Bapopik at AOL.COM Bapopik at AOL.COM
Fri Jul 25 01:32:01 UTC 2003


DING-A-LING

   The HDAS has 1935.


   24 August 1933, HOLLYWOOD HERALD, pg. 9, col. 1:
      _Ding-a-Lings._
   Know what a Ding-a-Ling is?
   It's a person who hears something confidentially and breaks a femur dashing to a telephone to tell it to a third person.
   They're prevalent in the studios these days.  Viz:
   A studio head liked a submitted story, then turned it over to a supervisor for reading.  A few days later the supervisor's agent called up the author (who has his own agent) and told him he could guarantee sale if the author let him handle it.
   No dice, no sale.
   'Tis said the Ding-a-Lings are working the gag overtime and receiving in return commission concessions from their agents.

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SELL SNOWPLOWS IN HAWAII

   I had posted a 1950s citation about selling refrigerators to Eskimos.  Same deal.


   12 November 1932, HOLLYWOOD HERALD, pg. 13 ad:
HE COULD SELL SNOWPLOWS...IN HAWAII!
   There may be a sucker born every minute...but the day Jimmy Bates was born...the clocks weren't running.
   _THE HALF NAKED TRUTH_
based on the life of Harry Reichenbach...the dean of all press agents.



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