Motto: live a fast life, die young and be a beautiful corpse (Irene L. Luce 1920 August 25)

[Laurence Horn]

On Apr 14, 2012, at 3:23 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:

> At 4/14/2012 11:41 AM, Garson O'Toole wrote:
>> ...
>> Here are some earlier instances of the general expression.
>>
>> Cite: 1920 August 25, Riverside Daily Press, Did Not Want to Be
>> Bothered with Husband, [Dateline: Los Angeles, Aug. 25], Page 2,
>> Column 4, Riverside, California. (GenealogyBank)
>> [Begin excerpt]
>> Letters from Mrs. Irene L. Luce, to Oscar B. Luce, won a divorce for
>> the husband here today.
>> "I can't be bothered with a husband," one letter said.
>> "I intend to live a fast life, die young and be a beautiful corpse,"
>> Mrs. Luce wrote.
>> [End excerpt]
>
> I'd be more ready to credit the letter-writer if it were not Irene L.
> but Clare Booth.  Or Dorothy Parker.
> :-)
> Joel
>
Well, if Clare Boothe Luce intended any such thing, her intentions were certainly thwarted.

LH

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