Mau-Mauing

[Baker, John]

        L.A. Times, June 13, 1982 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers):
Comedian Charlie Fleischer observes:  "If you remember the '60s, you
really weren't there."


John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Garson O'Toole
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 2:32 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Mau-Mauing

The list archives have an earlier discussion about remembering the
sixties.

>> Who was it who said. "Anyone who can remember the sixties wasn't
there".
>
> In the Yale Book of Quotations I credit Paul Kantner, who was quoted
as
> saying this in a UPI story, 15 May 1987.  I would welcome any earlier
> evidence.
> Fred Shapiro

Bill Mullins mentioned some other candidates:
> I couldn't antedate this, but I've seen it credited to many old
stoners
> -- Robin Williams, David Crosby, Dennis Hopper, Judy Collins, Timothy
> Leary.

Wavy Gravy is also mentioned as a possibility also as noted by
Laurence Horn. I was not able to antedate the YBQ cite. There is an
odd reference in the Google News archive that claims the phrase was an
old bumper sticker in 1987. If this is accurate then someone probably
said it before the 1987 Kantner citation. I do not have access to
NewsBank to verify the citation:

SKELETONS IN CLOSETS MAY INVOLVE SOME HEMP
Lexington Herald Leader - NewsBank - Nov 9, 1987
As that old bumper sticker used to say: "If You Remember the Sixties,
You Weren't There." The latest thing in Washington is for Supreme
Court nominees and

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