Life of Riley (1918)

[Mullins, Bill AMRDEC]

Barry Popik had already submitted a 1911 cite, but it doesn't look like
the right meaning.

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0312D&L=ADS-L&P=R2720&
I=-3

N'archive also has, slightly earlier:
Syracuse | Syracuse Herald, The | 1918-07-09 p. 35 [also a letter home
from a WWI soldier]
"The rooms have tile floors and quaint little fireplaces and is the best
house in town, so
you can see we are living the life of Riley."


> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Dave Wilton
> Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2006 2:03 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Life of Riley (1918)
>

>
> OED has 1919.
>
> The Syracuse Herald, 29 July 1918, final page, (a soldier
> named Kennedy writing about life in the Army), in
> Newspaperarchive.com:
>
> "This is surely one great life," writes Kennedy. "We call it
> the life of Riley. We are having fine eats, are in a great
> detachment and the experience one gets is fine. I must say I
> enjoy it immensely. It sure has some advantages over the
> undertaking business."
>
> Note that this predates the 1919 song by H. Pease that is
> suggested as the origin of the phrase. It's also interesting
> in that it is spelled "Riley"
> and not "Reilly," which is normally considered to be the
> original form.
>
> --Dave Wilton
>   dave at wilton.net
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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