Slight antedating of "Curses, foiled again" (1929)

Bonnie Taylor-Blake taylor-blake at NC.RR.COM
Mon Nov 27 16:04:14 UTC 2006


Fred's (wonderful) YBQ gives us a 9 January 1930 usage of this phrase in a
Moon Mullins comic strip.  For what it's worth, here are a couple print
appearances from 1929.

-- Bonnie

-------------------

Curses, foiled again!
it won't explode -- it's

C A R B O N A
*Cleaning Fluid*

CANNOT BURN
CANNOT EXPLODE

[Etc.]

(A display ad appearing in *The Chicago Tribune*, 24 April 1929, Pg. 20.
Carbona Products Co. had asked readers for possible advertisement themes;
this one was suggested by R.A. Baker of [someplace], New York.  It's also
complete with a terrific cartoon depicting a Snidely-Whiplash type, the
requisite damsel in distress, and our hero on horseback in the distance.)

-------------------

"Curses!" Cries The Villain.  "Foiled Again!"

(The title for a drawing that appeared in *The Fresno Bee*, 1 October 1929,
Pg. 8-A.  The image and its caption promote an upcoming burlesque show:
"Dirty work at the crossing, on the great railroad scene in After Dark,
burlesque revival of the famous old melodrama, which comes to the White
Theater next Sunday for a matinee and evening performance.")

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



More information about the Ads-l mailing list