"truth be told"

[Mark Mandel]

Slight antedate:

http://www.canadiandriver.com/1996/01/17/used-vehicle-review-buick-century-1990-1996.htm
January 17, 1996
Used Vehicle Review: Buick Century, 1990-1996
...
However, truth be told, the Century did receive only a minor facelift
for 1990. Prior to that, the previous complete makeover came in 1982,
when this stalwart General Motors model went from rear-wheel to
front-wheel drive and shared mechanicals with the Oldsmobile Cutlass
Ciera, Chevrolet Celebrity and Pontiac 6000.

m a m

On Sun, Jul 5, 2009 at 4:21 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> The archives contain several comments on this reduction of "if the truth be
> told" back to 1999-2000.
>
> An earlier one from an academic:
>
> 1997 Keith Gandal in _Nineteenth-Century Literature_ LI (March) 503: Truth
> be told, there are already some "extra-medical" autopsies of Crane floating
> around in our culture.
>
> Surely many earlier ones may be found. But until then....
>
> JL

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