"we are two peoples separated by a common language" antedated & attributed

[Garson O'Toole]

Neal Whitman wrote:
> Reminds me of how the Babel fish caused more and bloodier wars than anything else in the history of the galaxy.

Great point. There may be some line of continuity from the trenchant
humor of George Bernard Shaw to that of Douglas Adams.

Here is another joke attributed to Bernard Shaw in 1930 about the
common language. The "different organ" for communication, in this
case, is not small yellow telepathic Babel fish.

Cite: 1930 June 14, Youngstown Vindicator, The American Voice by Glenn
Frank, Page 6 (GN Page 4), Youngstown, Ohio. (Google News archive)

Distinguished Americans and distinguished Britons were at dinner under
the auspices of the English-speaking Union in London

An oratorical American was concluding his address.

"We are one people," he said. "We are of the same blood. We drink at
the springs of the same literature. We speak the same language."

"Yes," said Bernard Shaw, "we speak the same language, but through a
different organ."

The American voice Is notoriously nasal, flat, tense, high-pitched.

End excerpt

The author of the piece, Glenn Frank, is described as: President of
University of Wisconsin and Famous Editor.
Garson

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