"I'm from X and I'm here to help (you)"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

Back in March, Geoff Nunberg inquired about the old line that Reagan
warned against: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help (you)." So
far this has been attested back to 1976, from the unlikely bedfellows
Edmund Muskie and George Will:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0503B&L=ADS-L&P=2334

I just noticed that this has reached snowclone status. Here are some
versions that Google throws up, with various institutions not to be
trusted...

Hi, I'm From IT, and I'm Here to Help.
http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/story/0,10801,97025,00.html

I'm From the Private Sector and I'm Here to Help.
http://www.thislife.org/pages/descriptions/04/266.html

Hi, I'm from Cable and Wireless and I'm here to help.
http://www.cctec.com/maillists/nanog/historical/9809/msg00358.html

I'm from the EC and I'm here to help you.
http://www.ofcomwatch.co.uk/2005/06/im-from-ec-and-im-here-to-help-you

I'm from the ACLU and I'm here to help you.
http://www.publicdomainprogress.info/2004/09/im-from-aclu-and-im-here-to-help-you.html

Hi, I'm from the Administration and I'm Here to Help.
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/2002/Dec/abs1394.html

I'm from the FAA and I'm here to help you.
http://www.aeroplanner.com/ubb/Forum18/HTML/000007.html

i'm from the left. i'm here to help.
http://www.noematic.org/red/archives/011523.html

I'm from the university and I'm here to help.
http://lawver.net/wiki/index.php/How_to_Leverage_Solipsism

I'm from Transport Canada and I'm here to help you.
http://www.calgaryflyingclub.com/aviationhumour.asp

I'm from the UN and I'm here to help.
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2005/01/the_other_side_.html

I'm from the future and I'm here to help you.
http://www.rotfl.com.au/trekker/tng/5/a_matter_of_time.html

I'm from head office and I'm here to help.
http://www.accountancyage.com/accountancyage/features/2040614/vision-change

I'm from the Joint Commission and I'm here to help you.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10539432&dopt=Abstract

I'm from Hastings Pharmaceuticals. And I'm here to help you.
http://www.tlconline.com/industry_news/in_youtalk.html

I'm From The Times. I'm Here To Help You.
http://www.sluggoneedsanap.blogspot.com/



--Ben Zimmer