She was only...

[Jonathan Lighter]

A dozen of these feature in a rare Australian mimeo publication, _With the Diggers 1914-1918_ (Melbourne: 4th A.M.C. Association, 1933), p. 164.  All the jokes, parodies, songs, and sentimental verses included were presumably current in the Australian Imperial Forces by 1918.  Ben's discovery of a 1922 example adds weight to this conjecture.

Here they are in order:

"SHE WAS ONLY A ??????

She was only a Boot-maker's daughter --
but she said 'Shoo' to all the men.

She was only a Fruiterer's daughter --
but she gave all the chaps the raspberry.

She was only a Photographer's daughter --
but all her answers were in the negative.

She was only a Policeman's daughter --
but she had all the fellows beat.

She was only a Hiker's daughter --
but she kept to a straight and narrow path.

She was only a Tram-Conductor's daughter --
but she never knew when to stop.

She was only a Bookie's daughter --
but she always came home at 5 to 4.

She was only a Green-Grocer's daughter --
but she knew her onions.

She was only an Asphalter's daughter --
but she loved her tar.

She was only an Electrician's daughter --
but she lit up all the town.

She was only a Grocer's daughter and
she said "No" -- but Marmite.

She was only a Baker's daughter --
but she kneaded the dough."

JL


Benjamin Zimmer <bgzimmer at RCI.RUTGERS.EDU> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Benjamin Zimmer
Subject: Re: She was only...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Tue, 24 May 2005 18:08:23 -0400, Benjamin Zimmer
wrote:

>This was a popular gag in syndicated humor columns in the '20s,
>particularly "Scoop's Colyum" (the Danville Bee cites below). The
>earliest version I can find is the "moonshiner's daughter" one, from
>1922.
>
>-----
>Chicago Tribune, Aug 7, 1922, p. 8
>Under separate cover I am sending you my latest poem of passion, "She's
>Only a Moonshiner's Daughter But Oh I Love Her Still."
>-----

And jokes relying on "I love her still" go back much earlier than that:

-----
Atlanta Constitution, Nov 17, 1875, p. 4
"My native city has treated me badly," said a drunken vagabond, "but I
love her still." "Probably," replied a gentleman, "her still is all that
you do love."
-----


--Ben Zimmer

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