Viral Quotes: Remark about a funeral: I approve of it (attrib Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar 1887; attrib Mark Twain 1938)

[Jonathan Lighter]

I like it!

JL

On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 11:47 AM, Garson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Viral Quotes: Remark about a funeral: I approve of it
> (attrib
>              Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar 1887; attrib Mark Twain 1938)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Thanks for responding with valuable material from your searches Victor.
>
> Wendell Phillips died on Feb. 7, 1884 according to Britannica. Here is
> a cite with a version of the joke on February 29th. So the quip was in
> circulation within weeks of the death of Phillips.
>
> Cite: 1884 February 29, Cincinnati Commercial Gazette (Cincinnati
> Commercial Tribune), Approving of the Funeral, Page 2, Column 5,
> Cincinnati, Ohio. (GenealogyBank)
>
> Approving of the Funeral.
>
> Boston Post.-The Hon. E. R. Hoar did not love Phillips over much in
> his later years. It is now reported of him that while the remains of
> the great agitator were awaiting the final ceremonies a distinguished
> Cambridge gentleman asked him if he was going to attend Wendell
> Phillips's funeral. "No," was the reply, "but I approve it!"
>
> Garson
>
> On Sun, May 8, 2011 at 12:36 AM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
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> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: Viral Quotes: Remark about a funeral: I approve of it
> (attrib
> >              Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar 1887; attrib Mark Twain 1938)
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > A quick check of GNA finds further attributions to "Judge Hoar" in NYT in
> > Feb. 1893 and Feb. 1895. Then another NYT appearance with a
> near-anonymous
> > attribution a year later.
> >
> > http://goo.gl/p9L0G
> > New York Times - Nov 3, 1896
> >
> >> President Cleveland's Failure to register in New-York this year, taken
> in
> >> connection with his well-known views as to Bryan's candidacy, reminds
> The
> >> Springfield Republican of the story told about a well-known resident of
> >> Concord, who, when asked if her were going to attend the funeral of a
> >> certain man, said, "No, but I approve of it."
> >
> > Incidentally, this is followed by a comment on Helen Kellar [sic]
> learning
> > to ride a bicycle (a tandem).
> >
> > Again, the same comment in 1901, but with entirely different attribution.
> >
> > http://goo.gl/Xqfrd
> > New York Times - May 19, 1901
> > Some of Mr. Evarts's Jokes.
> >
> >> On being asked whether he would go to the funeral of a man whom he very
> >> much disliked, Evarts replied: "No, I shall not attend; but I quite
> appro=
> > ve
> >> of it."
> >  ...
>
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