"It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it"

[Michael Quinion]

Benjamin Zimmer wrote

> Earlier still, from Agatha Christie's _The Seven Dials Mystery_
> (1929): "I'll go," said Ronny. "It's a rotten job, but somebody's got
> to do it," he looked at Jimmy.

A little earlier:

1921 "Success" by Samuel Hopkins Adams "'We've got to protect ourselves
against a hold-up.' 'Dirty work, but somebody's got to do it.'"


--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: wordseditor at worldwidewords.org
Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org