"I'm not a doctor but I play one on TV"

[Arnold Zwicky]

On Nov 16, 2010, at 10:08 AM, Jon Lighter wrote:

> I'm still hearing jocular allusions to this TV line from nearly a quarter
> century ago. The most recent was this morning. They take the form of "I'm
> not an X but I play one on TV." Fred wisely included it among the undated
> "Advertising Slogans" in YBQ.
>
> The original aired in 1987:
>
> http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x36pho_vicks-44_ads
>
> GB offers 200 exact cites, surely making this one of the best-known
> quotations in current use.

Language Log postings on the Play One snowclone:

AZ, 10/12/05: Playing one:
 http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002537.html

AZ, 10/13/05: Playing one 2:
  http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002541.html

AZ, 10/16/05: Playing one 3:
  http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002550.html

AZ, 10/19/05: My big fat Greek snowclone:
  http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002557.html
(on playful allusions vs. snowclones proper)

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