Modern Proverb: Life is just one damn thing after another (slight antedating 1909 July 20)

[Garson O'Toole]

Life is just one damned thing after another.

This quote appears in the online Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (also
Modern and Concise). A citation is given to the writer Elbert Hubbard
in the periodical Philistine dated December 1909. The copy of the
December issue of Philistine in Google Books contains the phrase with
a minor difference: Life is just one damn thing after another. I was
unable to find the phrase with "damned" in the December issue.

http://books.google.com/books?id=IhrZAAAAMAAJ&q=damn#v=snippet&

The Yale Book of Quotations contains a citation for the phrase "Life
is just one darn thing after another" dated 1909 July 22 in the
Washington Post along with the comment that the cite "indicates that
the expression predated Hubbard."

Immediately below are three cites: a newspaper article published two
days earlier on 1909 July 20, an advertisement in the July issue of a
monthly periodical called "The Practical Printer", and a book
published in 1909. In the book the phrase is presented as a motto on a
wall.

Citation: 1909 July 20, Anaconda Standard, Page 6, Column 3, Anaconda,
Montana. (NewspaperArchive)

After the Thaw inquiry, the Sutton investigation. As One pessimistic
philosopher puts it: "Life is just one damn thing after another."


Citation: 1909 July, The Practical Printer, Advertisement title, Page
107, Vol 11, No. 7, Inland Type Foundry, Saint Louis. (Google Books
full view)

"LIFE IS ONE DARN THING AFTER ANOTHER"
Manifold books are here to stay. The printer may as well get busy and
learn how to handle the profitable line.

http://books.google.com/books?id=lJHPAAAAMAAJ&q=darn#v=snippet&q=darn&f=false


Citation: 1909, The Concentrations of Bee by Lilian Bell, Page 241,
Grosset & Dunlap, New York. (Google Books full view)

"Bob has a motto on his wall which says 'Life is just one damned thing
after another!'" said Jimmie. But I refused to smile. I was too
distinctly annoyed.

http://books.google.com/books?id=whQYAAAAYAAJ&q=damned+thing#v=snippet&


After July 1909 I found several more citations in 1909. Also there are
some matching items in the Google Books database in snippet view mode
with uncertain dates. This item may have a 1909 publication date.

Citation: Circa 1909???, History of the Class of 1903, Yale College,
Page 175, Yale University. (Google Books snippet view only)

Since then the daily round has continued in much the same manner as
formerly, for, after all, 'Life is only one damned thing after
another.' My title has been changed and now I am called 'betterment
recorder.'

http://books.google.com/books?id=BHUWAAAAIAAJ&q=damned#search_anchor


The word darn and the term d--n are sometimes substituted for damn.
The power of the word to shock listeners is recorded in the following
cite which also shows the proliferation of the phrase.

Citation: 1909 October 24, San Antonio Light and Gazette, Gambler's
Motto His Pulpit Theme, Page 26 (NewspaperArchive numbering), San
Antonio, Texas.  (NewspaperArchive)

"Life is just one damn thing after another," said the Rev. Dr. Percy
S. Grant, rector of the Church of the Ascension, Fifth avenue and
Tenth street, as a preface to a talk yesterday. Members of the
congregation sat bolt upright, and some gasped in decorous
astonishment. A deaf woman in the front pew took down her black
trumpet from her right ear and refused to listen. Afterward curiosity
overcame her and the trumpet went up again.
Dr. Grant had received a postal card with the words quoted above early
in the week, and the cynical sentiment of the missive so aroused his
indignation that the rector preached against its acceptance in his
sermon.


The following 1910 citation is the first attribution that I found. But
who is Bruce Calvert?

Citation: 1910 March, Wood Craft, Page 167, Column 2, The Gardner
Publishing Co., Cleveland. (Hathi Trust full view)

"I would like to have my shop free from accident of every kind, both
to operators and to stock, but I don't suppose that state of things
will be actually brought to pass. It's too much like a dream of the
next world to find something in this one which is not like Bruce
Calvert's idea of life which he says is: 'Just one damned thing after
another.'"

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ptsearch?id=mdp.39015010724832&q1=damned
Permanent Hathi URL:
http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015010724832


The terms substituted for damn in the following 1910 citation are entertaining.

Citation: 1910 October 15, The National Provisioner, Chicago Section,
Page 34, Food Trade Publishing Co., New York. (Google Books full view)

It is better to be a "has been" than a "never was," says Uncle Joseph,
and adds "What is life, anyway, but one doggoned, golbinged, dodrotted
thing after another !!!***???!!!???!! anyhow?"

http://books.google.com/books?id=BfXmAAAAMAAJ&q=golbinged#v=snippet&

Garson O'Toole

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