"What's tough?" "Life." "What's life?" "A magazine." (1945)

[Wilson Gray]

This was also used in a Hitchcock movie starring Cary Grant. The name
and the date escape me, but the date is definitely post-1947.

-Wilson Gray

On Mar 5, 2005, at 8:37 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: "What's tough?" "Life." "What's life?" "A magazine."
> (1945)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> Something comparable from the film, _The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer_
> (1947):
>
> "You remind me of a man."
> "What man?"
> "The man with the Power!"
> "What power?"
> "Hoodoo."
> "Hoodoo?"
> "You do!"
> "Do what?"
> "Remind me of a man."
> "What man?"
>
> Repeat till dead.
>
> JL
>
> Bapopik at AOL.COM wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject: "What's tough?" "Life." "What's life?" "A magazine." (1945)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> Hoosier Folklore Bulletin, Bloomington, Indiana, edited by Ernest
> Baughman, vol. IV, no. 2, June 1945, pg. 37:
>
> _AN ENDLESS TALE_
>
> I heard my sister, May Lou Baughman, age 17, of Kouts, Indiana, going
> through this the other day. I asked where she had heard it. "From Lina
> (Martin)." "Where'd she hear it?" "From Wesley Birkey." "Where'd he
> get it?" "Hard telling." Anyway here it is, from the younger
> generations.
>
> "That's tough!"
> "What's tough?"
> "Life."
> "What's life?"
> "A magazine."
> "Where d'you get it?"
> "Drugstore."
> "What's it cost?"
> "A dime."
> "shucks, I only got a nickel."
> "That's tough.
> "What's tough?" (etc.)
>
> Indiana University Ernest Baughman
>
>
> (GOOGLE)
> DO YOU KNOW LYRICS
> ... 23 Sep 2003 - (1) 50s or 60s oldie. "OH what's tough? Life. Oh
> what's life?
> A magazine. Well how much does it cost? It costs 20 cents. ...
> www.commsoft.lk/doyouknowlyrics03.html - 91k - Cached - Similar pages
>
> Washingtonpost.com: Live Online
> ... Alexandria, VA: What's tough? Life. What's Life? A Magazine. How
> much does it
> cost? A Dime. Only have a Nickel. That's tough! What's tough? ...
> discuss.washingtonpost.com/ zforum/99/auto_rate991229.htm -
> Supplemental Result - Similar pages
>
> Cauldron
> ... Person two: What's tough? Person one: Life Person two: What's life
> Person one: A
> magazine Person two: Where'd you get it Person one: News Stand Person
> two: How ...
> epic-mag.com/cauldron3/post.asp?method=ReplyQuote&
> REPLY_ID=2301&TOPIC_ID=189&FORUM_ID=3 - 72k - Supplemental Result -
> Cached - Similar pages
>
> yourDictionary.com • Agora Discussion Board
> ... I remember a song called That's tough. It goes; What's tough:
> Life, What's
> Life: a magazine, how much does it cost? it costs 20 ...
> www.yourdictionary.com/cgi-bin/agora/
> agora.cgi?board=idiom;action=display;num=1044550287 - 78k -
> Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
>
>
> (GOOGLE)
> http://www.jerryosborne.com/5-26-03.htm
> FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 26, 2003
> DEAR JERRY: Here's a question I've asked everyone and no one has yet
> come up with an answer.
>
> It's about a song I heard on American Bandstand in the late '50s or
> early '60s. I need to know the exact title as well as who recorded it.
>
> In this tune the backup singers say What's tough,?then the lead singer
> asks What's tough??
>
> The chorus responds with Life,?and he asks What's life??They answer A
> magazine.?
>
> Someone suggested it is So Tough,?by the Cufflinks, but I can find
> nothing at all on this song or artist. Can you help?
> —Barry W. Scholles, Dover, Ohio
>
> DEAR BARRY: What's really tough? Apparently it has been getting the
> information you seek about What's Life (That's Tough),?a 1962 hit for
> Gabriel and the Angels (Swan 4118).
>
> Finding an original 45 is one way to add What's Life (That's Tough)?to
> your collection, though it also exists on at least one various artists
> CD: Golden Age of American Rock and Roll, Vol. 2?(Ace CDCHD 445).
>
> Ace is a British reissue company, so this import may be difficult to
> find in the US shops. Shopping for it online is probably your best
> bet.
>
> Most of the 30 tracks on Golden Age of American Rock and Roll, Vol.
> 2?are of the Gabriel and the Angels variety — popular and memorable
> songs by artists with one or maybe two hits.
>
>
> (NEWSPAPERARCHIVE)
> Zanesville Signal Sunday, January 20, 1957 Zanesville, Ohio
> ...of; many nastv breaks. VCnat's LIFE? LIFE is a MAGAZINE. Where do
> get it" At.....AND Coach Wayne Ashbaugh. THAT'S TOUGH, but LIFE is
> full..
>
>
> (PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
> Where the Sidewalk Begins
> Michael Dirda. The Washington Post (1974-Current file). Washington,
> D.C.: Nov 6, 1988. p. BO16 (1 page):
> "That's tough! What's tough? Life. What's life? A magazine. Where did
> you get it? Newsstand. How much? Fifteen cents. I've only a dime.
> THat's tough! What's tough? Life...."
>
> 'The Cover of Life': A Family in Wartime; A story 'too good to be
> true' and a magazine correspondent's discoveries.
> By ALVIN KLEINTEANECK. New York Times (1857-Current file). New York,
> N.Y.: Dec 13, 1992. p. NJ19 (1 page):
> In the end, the incessancy of a theme, a relentless play on the
> title--the inside scoop on life's necessary covers, or
> cover-ups--brings to mind an endless riddle that went round long ago.
> It went like this: That's tough. WHat's tough? Life. What's life? A
> magazine. How much? Fifty cents. (Remember, we're talking long ago.) I
> only have a nickel. That's tough. Etc.
>
>
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