“If I had a nickel for every time I heard it, I’d probably be a millionaire.”

[Dan Goncharoff]

That made me rethink the search:

Broadway Magazine
Vol. 1, No. 6
September,1898
"IF a certain theatrical manager were to get a nickel for every chorus
girl he has cheated, he'd be a millionaire — or near it."

DanG



On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 11:55 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:      =?windows-1252?Q?Re=3A_=93If_I_had_a_nickel_for_every_time_I_hear
>              d_it=2C_?=
>              =?windows-1252?Q?I=92d_probably_be_a_millionaire=2E=94?=
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> With "nickel," this was one of my grandfather's favorite expressions.
>
> He was born in NYC in 1884.
>
> JL
>
> On Mon, Sep 26, 2011 at 11:30 AM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:
>>  =?windows-1252?Q?=93If_I_had_a_nickel_for_every_time_I_heard_it=2
>>              C_I=92?= =?windows-1252?Q?d_probably_be_a_millionaire=2E=94?=
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> That quote was made by NY football Giants receiver Victor Cruz in
>> today's NYTimes.
>>
>> A quick look at GB and the oldest quote I found is from Helmut Flieg,
>> under the pseudonym Stefan Heym -- "Goldsborough, a novel" dated 1954:
>> "If I had a nickel for every tear I've seen in this business, I'd be a
>> millionaire."
>>
>> I did find an older quote going down to a penny, but missing the
>> millionaire:
>>
>> The American magazine: Volume 114
>> 1932 - Snippet view
>> "Land sakes, I wish I had a penny for every wishful look I've seen
>> little fellows cast at the doll counter when I worked"
>>
>> Turning to shilling, I found this, including the millionaire, but not
>> as intended:
>> The strand magazine: Volume 71
>> 1926 - Snippet view
>> "I wish I had a shilling for every time I've failed to become a
>> millionaire through lack of the necessary capital."
>>
>> Dollar seems to be the big winner, although you get to your goal 20
>> times as fast;
>> Every other Sunday, Volume 15 , p.167
>> No. 21 -- June 17, 1900
>> By Unitarian Sunday-School Society
>> "If I had a dollar for every mosquito I have killed, I should be a
>> millionaire by this time."
>>
>> DanG
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
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