broker than the 10 commandments

[Jonathan Lighter]

"Close enough for government work": first heard this in 1973 from a Bard College undergrad who later went into DNA-splicin' and bio-engineerin'.

You have been warned.

JL

Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Wilson Gray
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
> Poster: "Mullins, Bill"
> 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
>>
>


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