Lie like a rug (1951); Billion here, billion there (1975); Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda (1952)

Wed Apr 14 02:05:11 UTC 2004

WILSON MIZNER & WASHINGTON IRVING--Yes, Mizner died in 1933 and I found the quote first in 1941, so maybe I should have said it was stolen FOR him...I quoted Washington Irving as given in the Making of America computer database.  Obviously, his HISTORY OF NEW YORK was written much before his death.  It's one of his earliest works...I did parking tickets (my only value to humanity) from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.  When I get home, I'm just too tired to spell-check "Condoleezza".

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LIE LIKE A RUG

LIKE LIKE A RUG--1,830 Google hits, 3,470 Google Groups hits
LYING LIKE A RUG--278 Google hits, 581 Google Groups hits

   A judge told me today that he had someone who tried to beat parking tickets by "lying like a rug."  That's not in HDAS or the CASSELL DICTIONARY OF SLANG.
   Do rugs lie?  Mine will tell a shaggy story every now and then, but don't they have moral fiber?  If rug do lie, why doesn't anyone call them on the carpet?

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
Bill Bennings..
The Washington Post (1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Aug 2, 1952. p. 10 (1 page):
   If I did I would be lying like a rug.

Politics and People; Guides to Dixie
By ALAN L.OTTEN. Wall Street Journal (1889-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Nov 18, 1976. p. 22 (1 page) :
   Telling something "with the bark on" is telling it like it is, but someone who "lies like a rug" is a flat-out liar.
(From HOW TO TALK SOUTHERN by Steve Mitchell and Sam C. Rawls--ed.)

(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM)
Portsmouth Herald -  9/9/1976
...A questionAire from the ArAbs to LIE LIKE A RUG BRUCESNOWDON 16 CAble RoAd Rye, N.....person thAt An unscheduled speAker would LIKE to hAve the floor.for A few minutes, And.....in the present sociAl order. WhAt I would LIKE to see. in contrAst to the LeAgue of.....the New HAmpshire Troopers rushing LIKE hell, blue lights flAshing, to Lums, is..
Portsmouth,  New Hampshire     Thursday, September 09, 1976   709 k

Mountain Democrat -  7/6/1998
...hAve the morAls of A billy goAl, mAy LIE LIKE A RUG, Are these "high crimes or My.....to one thAt A reporter of A mirAcle tells A LIE." Bishop John Shelby Spong ApproAches the.....cAn't Afford to do speciAl Activities LIKE bAsketbAll, bAsebAll, gymnAstics, tAp.....from the progrAm for everyone who doesn't LIKE stAying one second longer At school. I..
Placerville,  California     Monday, July 06, 1998   442 k

News Journal -  11/22/1971
...Roger (who is mAd At Another boy) You LIE LIKE A RUG Billy: YeA but A RUG doesn't tAlk.....Why does A bAby chick wAlk softly BecAuse LIE cAn't wAlk hArdly One snAil to Another..
Mansfield,  Ohio     Monday, November 22, 1971   413 k

Deming Headlight -  2/9/1951
...immediAtely know thAt some one is LYING LIKE A RUG when the word stork is mentioned.....you ten the old lAdy sAys the youngun looks LIKE its fAther. BAsicAlly, the kid looks.....of 127 Acres locAted in the North pArt of LYING north of S. P. Ry. in sAid Section 36.....of 147 Acres described As N. pArt of NEW, LYING N. of S. P. Ry. in SAid Section 36..
Deming,  New Mexico     Friday, February 09, 1951   585 k

Mansfield News Journal -  4/5/1951
...The sunshine todAy brought We're Not LYING LIKE A RUG When we tell you this Ad brought.....led pArtment of trusteeship for the don't LIKE it Any better; He sAid the plAn will be..
Mansfield,  Ohio     Thursday, April 05, 1951   735 k

Mansfield News Journal -  4/5/1951
...North KoreA And MAnchuriA. We're Not LYING LIKE A RUG When we tell you this Ad brought.....SpeAk three center rings. DAncers dressed LIKE pineApples hung by1 CLEVELAND (INS) one.....led pArtment of trusteeship for the don't LIKE it Any better He sAid the plAn will be..
Mansfield,  Ohio     Thursday, April 05, 1951   734 k

(OCLC WORLDCAT)
Title:
Midnite dynamite

Corp Author(s):
Kix (Musical group)

Publication:
New York :; Atlantic Recording,

Year:
1985

Description:
1 sound disc (ca. 41 min.) :; analog, 33 1/3 rpm, stereo. ;; 12 in.

Language:
English

Music Type:
Rock music

Standard No:
Publisher: 7 81267-1; Atlantic; 81267-1; Atlantic; LCCN: 91-757643

Contents:
Midnite dynamite (3:48) -- Red hot (black & blue) (3:22) -- Bang bang (balls of fire) (3:58) -- Layin' rubber (3:51) -- Walkin' away (4:55) -- Scarlet fever (4:18) -- Cry baby (4:16) -- Cold shower (5:01) -- Lie like a rug (3:40) -- Sex (3:55).

(OCLC WORLDCAT)
Lie like a rug /
Author: Murray, Donna Houston.
Publication: New York : Maidenhead : St. Martin's ; Melia, 2001
Document: English : Book  : Fiction

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A BILLION HERE, A BILLION THERE, AND PRETTY SOON WE'RE TALKING REAL MONEY

_A billion here, a billion there_
_NEW YORK CITY HEADS FOR A STADIUM OVERDOSE.  GUESS WHO WILL BE PAYING._
--VILLAGE VOICE, April 14-20, 2004, pg. 20, cols. 3-4 headline.

   Fred Shapiro might have the exact quote.  I couldn't do better than Everett Dirksen.

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
Horatius at the Bridges; ESSAY
By William Safire. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Aug 28, 1975. p. 33 (1 page):
   As Everett Dirksen used to say of Federal budgets, "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it begins to add up to real money."

A Billion Here, a Billion There
Wall Street Journal (1889-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Feb 2, 1978. p. 14 (1 page):
   A billion here, a billion there, as Sen. Dirksen was fond of observing.  Pretty soon you're talking about real money.

The old pump-the-economy-for-votes routine
Richard L. Strout. Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current file). Boston, Mass.: Jan 19, 1979. p. 23 (1 page) :
   It was the late Senator Dirksen who remarked, " A billion here and a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money."

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WOULDA COULDA SHOULDA

   This was mentioned in a newspaper story today about the 9-11 hearings.

 (PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
I Woulda, I Coulda, I Shouda'; This litany keeps hope alive in the horseplayer, sure to win -- tomorrow. AT THE GRANDSTAND AT AQUEDUCT
By GILBERT MILLSTEIN. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Jul 20, 1952. p. SM14 (2 pages)
Last line of second page:  "The horseplayers' philosophy you can sum up in one sentence: 'I woulda; I coulda; I shoulda.'"

Playing 'Em One-at-a-Time Pays Dividends, Durocher Discovers; Refusal to Worry About Next Day's Game Works for Fast-Talking Giant Manager
By WILLIAM R. CONKLIN. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Sep 21, 1954. p. 32 (1 page):
   "But if we lose...then Durocher shoulda...Durocher coulda...if Durocher woulda...and on and on."

Hoya Captain Hospitalized Before 88-75 VCU Win; Jackson Ill, Hoyas Fall In Playoff
By Mark Asher Washington Post Staff Writer. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington, D.C.: Mar 2, 1978. p. D1 (2 pages)
First page:  The circumstances surrounding last night's game would make a field day for the woulda-coulda-shoulda set.

(OCLC WORLDCAT)
Title:
When you hear Lou, you've heard it all

Author(s):
Rawls, Lou.

Publication:
New York :; Philadelphia International Records :; distributed by CBS Records,

Year:
1977

Description:
1 sound disc :; digital ;; 4 3/4 in.

Language:
English

Music Type:
Popular music

Standard No:
Publisher: ZK 35036; Philadelphia International Records

Contents:
Lady love -- I wish it were yesterday -- One life to live -- Dollar green -- Trade winds -- There will be love -- Unforgettable -- That would do it for me -- If I coulda, woulda, shoulda -- Not the straying kind.