"I see" said the blind man (1948)

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Wed, Mar 03, 2004 at 06:09:28PM -0500, Fred Shapiro wrote:
> On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
>
> > Does Fred Shapiro have an earlier hit for this?
> >
> > (OCLC WORLDCAT) Title: A killer is loose among us / Author(s): Terrall,
> > Robert. Publication: New York : Duell, Sloan and Pearce, Year: 1948
> > "I see," said the blind man --
>
> This is, of course, the most famous Wellerism.
>
> "Marry, that I would see! quoth blind Hew.
>         John Heywood, The Pardoner and the Frere (1533)

Face!

Barry, even you've never found a 400-year antedating....

Jesse Sheidlower
OED