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

[Jonathan Lighter]

I don't think  "(+You'll be sorry!)" was a necessary early constituent.

But I think it is now.

JL

On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 1:12 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Viral Quotes: Remark about a funeral: I approve of it
> (attrib
>              Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar 1887; attrib Mark Twain 1938)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 12:36 PM -0400 5/9/11, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >Common when I was a kid, but I haven't heard it in many years.
> >
> >The orig. sense seems to have been "It's your affair"
>
> (+ "You'll be sorry!")
>
> >rather than "It's your
> >opportunity to destroy yourself."
> >
> >Lowdown in HDAS.
> >
>
> Ah, under "funeral", I take it.  I'll check in A-G tonight.
>
> LH
>
> >On Mon, May 9, 2011 at 12:27 PM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu
> >wrote:
> >
> >>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >>  -----------------------
> >>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >>  Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> >>  Subject:      Re: Viral Quotes: Remark about a funeral: I approve of it
> >>  (attrib
> >>               Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar 1887; attrib Mark Twain 1938)
> >>
> >>
>
> >>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>
> >>  Speaking of which, how about "It's your funeral", with the usual
> >  > current rhetorical force?
> >>
>
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