"Straighten Up and Fly Right"

[Sam Clements]

"Straighten Up" is cited by Mathews from 1908 to mean "to adopt an honest
course in life."   But you probably already knew that.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Shapiro" <fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2003 10:08 PM
Subject: "Straighten Up and Fly Right"


> Can anyone help me to determine whether the phrase "straighten up and fly
> right" was popularized by Nat King Cole's 1944 song of that name, or
> whether its currency predated the song?
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
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> Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
> Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
>   Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
> Yale Law School                             forthcoming
> e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
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>