"Different Strokes for Different Folks"

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Tue, Sep 30, 2003 at 11:05:44AM -0400, Joanne M. Despres wrote:
> > Jesse, Tom, Jonathon, Barry, Joanne, Sam et al.:
> > Here's one more.  Does anyone have any citations for "different strokes
> > for different folks" earlier than the 1969 Sly and the Family Stone song,
> > "Everyday People"?
>
> I haven't found anything in the files earlier than 1969.

The earliest I have handy is 1970, where it is prefixed with
"as the kids say".

But it's not the sort of thing OED readers would generally collect.

Jesse Sheidlower
OED