OED Appeals list (UNCLASSIFIED); Ghost-Written Famous Quotations

Bapopik at AOL.COM Bapopik at AOL.COM
Fri Jun 22 02:24:30 UTC 2007


In a message dated 6/21/2007 5:14:38 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL writes:

don't  call us .. (we'll call you) (phr.):
antedate 1987, or any exx. in  print
(now antedated to 1959; variants also accepted (e.g. with  'ring'))

"Guys and Dolls Lexicon" By GILBERT MILLSTEIN. _New York  Times_; Feb 17,
1952; Magazine section, pg. 20 col 3.
"Keep in touch  with the office -- Means the reverse; don't bother us;
stay out of the way;  a variation of the casting director's "Don't call
us, we'll call you."  "


...
...


27 January 1952, Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, pg. 33, col. 1:
_IN NEW YORK WITH WALTER WINCHELL_
(...)
ETHEL SMITH'S favorite is about the jobless vaudeville juggler, who was  told
it was Good Luck to stand in front of the Marcus Loew plaque in the Loew's
State Theater building and ask for bookings...This gullible fellow decided to
try it...He removed his hat as he approached the 3-a-day circuit founder's
plaque and reverently asked for help...He even went into his juggling act
thinking it might help matters...After 20 minutes of doing all of his routines  he
was sure he saw tears in Loew's eyes..."Oh." said the juggler, "I didn't mean
to depress you. Don't you like my act?"
...
The late theatre magnate nodded sadly and replied: "My son, don't call us.
We'll call you."
...
...
...
GHOST-WRITTEN FAMOUS QUOTATIONS
...
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." (for Cassius Clay/Mohammed  Ali)




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