new (?) proverb

[Dan Goncharoff]

1991: Formula One, by Bob Judd
(snippet view)
"And a professional practices until he can't get it wrong. I was
feeling like an amateur."

DanG

On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 11:48 AM, Jonathan Lighter
<wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: new (?) proverb
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> A GB search for "amateurs practice * get it right, professionals" finds only
> 13 exx., beginning (they say) in 1997.
>
> The saying gives signs of taking off after 2005. Now there are 333,000 G
> hits.
>
> JL
>
> On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 9:52 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: new (?) proverb
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Also, I thought eunuchs couldn't do it.
>>
>> JL
>>
>> On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 9:51 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
>> >wrote:
>>
>> > Naah.
>> >
>> > FWIW, those shirts were big ca1976.
>> >
>> > JL
>> >
>> >   On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 9:08 AM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com
>> >wrote:
>> >
>> >> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> >> -----------------------
>> >> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> >> Poster:       victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
>> >> Subject:      Re: new (?) proverb
>> >>
>> >>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >>
>> >> Could there be some influence from the cluster of "do it" jokes of the
>> >> type,
>> >> "Programmers do it with UNIX"?
>> >>
>> >> VS-)
>> >>
>> >> On Tue, May 3, 2011 at 9:02 AM, Jonathan Lighter <
>> wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
>> >> >wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> > Twice in the past six months I've heard the following.  The precise
>> >> wording
>> >> > is what I heard on CNN this morning:
>> >> >
>> >> > "There's a saying that amateurs do it till they get it right,
>> >> professionals
>> >> > do it till they can't get it wrong,"
>> >> >
>> >> > The first time I heard it, it referred to musicians (am pretty sure
>> the
>> >> > verb there was "practice").  This morning it referred to the commando
>> >> raid
>> >> > on Bin Laden's place.
>> >> >
>> >> > The speaker was a former Navy SEAL, probably in his mid to late '60s.
>> >> >
>> >> > JL
>> >>
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>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> >  "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>> > truth."
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>>
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>>
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
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