Folk wisdom: "Treat 'em Rough !"

[Sam Clements]

"Treat 'em Rough" was also a 1919 movie starring Tom Mix.

Sam Clements

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jonathan Lighter" <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 2:00 PM
Subject: Folk wisdom: "Treat 'em Rough !"


> "Treat 'em Rough!" was the official slogan of the U.S.Army Tank Corps in
> World War I. It also provided the title of a 1918 book by Ring Lardner.
>
>  Cf.:
>
>  1910 in Commission of Inquiry, the Interchurch World Movement _Report on
> the Steel Strike of 1919_ (N,.Y.: Harcourt Brace & Howe, 1920) 127: The
> Corporation's executives are trained anti-union men who...translate the
> 1901 resolution into orders such as the following, for handling labor:
> "Catch 'em young, treat 'em rough, tell 'em nothing."
>
>  1920 in Franklin K. Lane _The Letters of Franklin K.Lane Personal and
> Political_ (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1922) 353: The plan here is to
> follow my boy's statement of the modern prescription for women, "Catch 'em
> young;  treat 'em rough; tell 'em nothing."
>
>  1945 Palmer J. Kalsem & Norman M. Johnston  _Practical Supervision_
> (N.Y.: McGraw-Hill) 114: "Get 'em young, treat 'em rough, and don't tell
> 'em anything." The boys down at the pool hall used to hand out this advice
> on women, and many an old-time boss used the same philosophy in handling
> his employees, as well.
>
>  1951 Bob Colby & Steve Krantz "Catch 'em Young, Treat 'em Rough, Tell 'em
> Nothing" (pop song) (Decca 78: 27656, Side B).
>
>  1952 Francis Parkinson Keyes _Steamboat Gothic_ 459: The rule for dealing
> with soldiers seems to be a lot like that for dealing with reporters:
> 'Catch 'em young, treat 'em rough, tell 'em nothing.
>
>  1958 John O'Hara _From the Terrace_ (N.Y.: Random House) 306: "Frig 'em
> young, treat 'em rough, and tell 'em nothing." That's the old motto, isn't
> it?
>
>  1970 George MacDonald Fraser _Royal Flash_ (Rpt. N.Y.: Plume, 1985) 156 :
> I don't mention this in a boastful way, or to suggest that with a chap
> like me it's just a matter of catch 'em young, treat 'em rough, roger 'em
> hard, and they eat out of my hand.
>
>  1999 _Kids on Marriage_  [
> http://groups.google.com/group/acadia.chat/msg/f35eadd3db1fa32f ] (Apr.
> 23) : I say Pick em young  treat em rough and tell em nothing. just
> kidding gals.
>
>
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