Close/Good enough for government work; The Right Track (Twain & Will Rogers)

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THE RIGHT TRACK (TWAIN & WILL ROGERS)

   "Good enough for government work" budgets only keep us numb and compound
the problem.  We need to aim not just for short-term responsibility but
long-term responsibility, a bold vision as well as calming competence. As Will Rogers
once reminded us, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if
you just sit there."
--NEW YORK SUN, J. P. Avlon opinion column, June 25-27, 2004, pg. 8, col. 5.


   Way back on 8 April 2004, I'd posted the following on ADS-L.  The NEW YORK
SUN piece was by the same J. P. Avlon:

   Mark Twain?  Will Rogers?  Someone else?
   From the NEW YORK SUN, 8 April 2004, pg. 9, col. 5:  Deputy Secretary of
State Richard Armitage memorably summed up the situation our nation found
itself in by quoting Mark Twain in his recent testimony to the 9/11 Commission:
"Even though you're on the right track, you can get run over if you're not going
fast enough."


   I wrote a letter to the editor of the NEW YORK SUN telling them that it
was absolutely NOT from Mark Twain, but was probably from Will Rogers.  The
letter was never published.  No one even responded.
   Two-and-one-half months later, the quote is now given to Will Rogers!

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CLOSE/GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK

CLOSE ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK--4,580 Google hits, 5,770 Google Groups hits
GOOD ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK--2,450 Google hits, 1,690 Google Groups hits


(GOOGLE GROUPS)
Re: "Good enough for government work"
... the requirements of the job at hand. If it good enough for government
work, its good enough! Most people use the phrase, "It's good ...
alt.usage.english - Sep 9, 1998 by John Gilmer - View Thread (11 articles)


(WWW.NEWSPAPERARCHIVE.COM) ("enough for government work")
   Mountain Democrat    Thursday, February 27, 1992 Placerville, California

...A-5 Justice: Prop 13 'close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK' By VLAE KERSHNER
c.1992.....It's not perfect, but it's close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT he added,
drawing..

   Mountain Democrat    Thursday, February 27, 1992 Placerville, California

...A-5 Justice: Prop 13 'close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK' By VLAE KERSHNER
c.1992.....It's not perfect, but it's close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT he added,
drawing..

   Chronicle Telegram   Monday, February 21, 2000 Elyria, Ohio
...lifelike, he decides close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK. He clears his
throat.....himself, yet now he couldn't use it ENOUGH. John was running FOR
president..

   Indiana Evening Gazette  Thursday, September 15, 1966 Indiana,
Pennsylvania
...a old one. That is close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK. You see During
this.....over. Gemini 11: Yes, well ft teems to WORK. Gemini 11 (minutes I sure
wish..
Pg. 16, col. 6:
_Excerpts Of Radio Talk Between Astronauts, Ground COntrol Stations--_
_"11" Crew Slept Between Periods of Chatting, Tossing_
      By JOE ZELLNER
   CAPE KENNEDY, Fla. (AP)--(...)
   Ground:  You should be right over New Orleans.  Maybe Pensacola or Mobile.
   Houston:  Do you require a point in command for the next star?
   (Command Pilot Charles--ed.) Conrad:  Thanks a lot.  You guys are all
right.  We used the old one.  That is close enough for government work.

   Mountain Democrat    Wednesday, February 07, 1996 Placerville, California

...This is the ol' "it's close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK" theory. If you've
got.....has been running through what passes FOR a creek out here. This is
good FOR..

   Mountain Democrat    Monday, April 24, 2000 Placerville, California
...quite precise, it's close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK, as they say. Why do
we.....Winery Entrance 30 Feet Ahead." Sure ENOUGH, there it was, a driveway
marked..

   Mountain Democrat    Friday, June 28, 1985 Placerville, California
...Yarborough said is "good ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK." the growing section
of.....aviation airport with a runway long ENOUGH to acromm.uddte executive
jets..

   Mountain Democrat    Wednesday, April 29, 1992 Placerville, California
...13 "rough and ready, close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK." What they were
talking.....when bald-faced inequities last long ENOUGH politicians may feel more
heat..

 Coshocton Tribune  Friday, November 05, 1976 Coshocton, Ohio
...he .supposes it was "close ENOUGH FOR GOVERNMENT WORK." Other red-faced
city.....up FOR November shifts, and 29 is not ENOUGH to cover each of the 744
hours in..


(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS) ("enough for government work")
    1.  An Astronomical Journey in Arizona
By IRA HENRY FREEMAN. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Oct
28, 1979. p. XX14 (1 page) :
   "This scope is also used for the study of the stars and planets," Joe
said.  "With it astronmers predicted the distance to the moon within six inches.
When I told a party that the other day, a man said, 'Well, that's close enough
for government work.'"

    2.  How Much for Defense?
R. James Woolsey. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington, D.C.:
Jun 5, 1980. p. A19 (1 page)

    3.  The Y Cookies Return: A la Cart; Jottings
By Marian Burros. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington, D.C.:
Apr 2, 1981. p. E1 (2 pages)

    4.  Not Good Enough
KURT M. HUGHES. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Sep 3,
1984. p. 24 (1 page) :
   How else will the phrase "good enough for Government work" become
obsolete?

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"HOT DOG" & 1904 WORLD'S FAIR (continued)

   OK, so I didn't get any credit for the Will Rogers quote.  Surely, after
all these years and years and years and years, I get credit for "hot dog"?


BEYOND THE ICE CREAM CONE:
THE WHOLE SCOOP ON FOOD AT THE 1904 WORLD'S FAIR
by Pamela J. Vaccaro
St. Louis: Enid Press
174 pages, paperback
April 2004

   Vaccaro debunks the idea that "iced tea" was invented at the 1904 World's
Fair.  Why, someone's found a citation for "iced tea" from 1890!  (See ADS-L
archives.)  Yes, it's that kind of scholarship.
   But onward we go to my name.  It's Barry Popik...

Pg. 112:  Hot dog historian (Yes, there is one!) Bruce Kraig, Ph.D., names
the college magazines of the late 1800s as the place where the term "hot dog"
began appearing in print.  At Yale in the fall of 1894, references were made to
the then-accepted practice of "dog wagons" selling "hot dogs."