fun with phrases

[Jonathan Lighter]

"You don't have to be crazy to *  - but it helps!"

1925 _N.Y. Times_ (Nov. 2) 20 [rev. of movie "Classified"]: One of the
captions, written by Ralph Spence, reads: You don't have to be crazy to
dance the Charleston, but it helps."

1925 -26 _American Bee Journal_ [GB: snippet, typeface looks legit]:They
say *you don't have to be crazy to do the Charleston — but it helps.

1927 _N.Y. Eve. Post_ (June 18) [http://www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html]:
You don't have to be crazy to dance the Charleston but it helps.

1927 Morrie Ryskind, C. F. Stevens, J. Englander _The Home Movie Scenario
Book_  (N.Y.: R. Manson) [GB, phrase not visible but looks real]:  You don't
have to be crazy to play golf, but it certainly helps.


After 1940, widely applied to things other than golfing and dancing the
Charleston, esp. "work here."

Scenarist Ralph Spence's title card appears to have been the effective
source.  Over to you, Fred!

JL

*
-- 
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

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