"Shit Happens"

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Fri, Jan 30, 2004 at 06:36:40PM -0500, Fred Shapiro wrote:
> The earliest hit on Nexis for "shit happens" is Washington Post, 8 June
> 1988, referring to a bumper sticker.  There is some slightly earlier
> evidence on Google groups.
>
> Can anyone shed any other light on the early history of this expression?
> Jesse, what is the earliest evidence in the HDAS files? the OED files?

Well, the earliest evidence in OED files is that published in our recent
entry for this expression, and it also happens to be from 1988. We do cite
a 1987 example from Usenet.

The HDAS files for this range were, and are still, unavailable; this should
change shortly. But Jon Lighter felt that the expression was not dramatically
earlier, if it is earlier at all.

Best,

Jesse