broker than the 10 commandments

[Mullins, Bill]

Well, as a civilian engineer for the U.S. Army, I (unfortunately) know
_exactly_ what you mean.

Bill

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Wilson Gray
> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 4:08 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: broker than the 10 commandments
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
> Subject:      Re: broker than the 10 commandments
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
> These aren't exactly the same as "_broker_ than...," but
> they're close enough for government work. Actually, I have
> nothing serious to say against either of these cites. I just
> wanted a reason to mention that I appear to have outlived the
> expression, "close enough for government work." When I use it
> in speaking with toddlers in their 40's or thereabouts, they
> have no idea what the point of the expression is.
>
> -Wilson Gray
>
> On Jan 19, 2005, at 4:47 PM, Mullins, Bill wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Mullins, Bill" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> > Subject:      Re: broker than the 10 commandments
> >
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > -
> > --------
> >
> >  THE BACHELOR CYNIC, HE SAYS---
> > New York Times (1857-Current file); Oct 30, 1904; ProQuest
> Historical
> > Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2001) pg. SM6 "It's
> hard luck to
> > be on your uppers, but no man would care to be as
> completely broke as
> > the Ten Commandments."
> >
> >
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: American Dialect Society
> >> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of George Thompson
> >> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 2:52 PM
> >> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> >> Subject: broker than the 10 commandments
> >>
> >>> Barry posted on this not long ago, citing a passage from a
> >> book by Louis Armstrong, as quoted in a review, from 1954.
> >> Wilson Gray responded that the expression was old and
> familiar, and
> >> someone else also responded, but if I read the archives
> correctly no
> >> one produced an example from before 1954.
> >>
> >> From Leave It to Psmith, by P. G. Wodehouse, originally
> published in
> >> 1923:
> >> [Freddie Threepwood:] "Are you really broke?"
> >> [Psmith:] "As broke as the Ten Commandments."
> >> p. 91
> >>
> >
>