Zinger: My dear, the final 't' is silent as in Harlow (improved to 1934)

[Garson O'Toole]

Here are the details for two cites in 1934 for the anecdote involving
Margot Asquith and Jean Harlow. These are the earliest cites known (to
me). The second very important cite was found by master searcher Sam
Clements.

On August 28, 1934 a gossip columnist named John Rosenfield, Jr. wrote
about a rising actress who used the single name "Margo" appearing in a
recently released picture called "Crime Without Passion". The subtitle
of the article was: Name is "Margo" Without a "T".  This text referred
to the performer Margo, but it also slyly referred to the anecdote
involving Asquith and Harlow. Rosenfield did not fully describe the
anecdote. Perhaps he felt constrained by the censorial sensitivities
of 1930s newspapers, or perhaps he did not want to offend Harlow by
implicitly referring to her as a harlot. However, the final sentence
of the column established the fact that the story was in circulation.

Cite: 1934 August 28, Dallas Morning News, Notes On The Passing Show:
Name is "Margo" Without a "T" by J. R. Jr. [John Rosenfield, Jr.],
Page 6, Column 3, Dallas, Texas. (GenealogyBank)

[Begin excerpt]
Apropos Margo, who is discussed in this column, get Fred McFadden,
Palace press agent, to tell you the story of Jean Harlow at Margot
Asquith's party.
[End excerpt]

Based on Sam Clements invaluable pointer I accessed the book of
Holmes-Einstein Letters. The relevant letter was dated October 4,
1934, and when Lewis Eintein mentioned Lady Oxford, I believe, he was
referring to Margot Asquith, Countess of Oxford.

Cite: 1964, The Holmes-Einstein letters: Correspondence of Mr. Justice
Holmes and Lewis Einstein: 1903-1935, Edited by James Bishop Peabody,
[Letter dated October 4, 1934 from Lewis Einstein to Justice Oliver
Wendell Holmes, Start Page 358, Quote Page 359, Macmillan & Co. Ltd,
London. (Verified on paper)

[Begin excerpt]
By way of pleasantry I must relate to you one of our mutual friend
Lady Oxford's latest. Having met Jean Harlow (the original platinum
blonde) at a party the latter exuberantly began to call her Margott
stressing the final t. Margot (severely) - 'The final "t" in my
christian name is silent, unlike your family name'.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sat, Jul 14, 2012 at 8:18 PM,  <sclements at neo.rr.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       sclements at NEO.RR.COM
> Subject:      Re: Zinger: My dear, the final 't' is silent as in Harlow (1945)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> If it's of any help, it was in the Holmes-Einstein Letters.  They corresponded until 1935.  I was searching for it using Google books, got lucky by spending hours tweaking things, and had the book in my local Akron Univ. library.  Went up, read it, and the rest was history.  Nothing one could do by searching/reading online.
>
> Sam
>
>
>
>
> ---- Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> Many thanks for your response Sam. I now see a relevant cite in August
>> 28,1934 in the Dallas Morning News. But the event, if it happened,
>> would be still earlier. I will look a bit more.
>> Garson
>>
>> On Sat, Jul 14, 2012 at 6:23 PM,  <sclements at neo.rr.com> wrote:
>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > Poster:       sclements at NEO.RR.COM
>> > Subject:      Re: Zinger: My dear, the final 't' is silent as in Harlow (1945)
>> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> >
>> > A few years back I think I found a significatly earlier cite than 1945.  I sent it to Fred, but not to the list.  I don't have it at hand, but you can ask Fred for it.
>> >
>> > Sam Clements
>> >
>> > ---- Garson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> >> An anecdote featuring Margot Asquith and Jean Harlow climaxes with a
>> >> zinger from Asquith. The Yale Book of Quotations, the Oxford
>> >> Dictionary of Quotations, and Cassell's Humorous Quotations each give
>> >> a 1973 citation for the story. Here is a version of the tale in 1945:
>> >>
>> >> Cite: 1945 July 31, Springfield Republican, Lady Asquith, Page 6,
>> >> Column 3, Springfield, Massachusetts. (GenealogyBank)
>> >> [Begin excerpt]
>> >> There was also the story, possibly apocryphal but certainly
>> >> characteristic, of her visit to Hollywood. She was described as
>> >> encountering a popular young screen actress of the period who insisted
>> >> on addressing her as "Margot," ignorantly pronouncing the final
>> >> letter. After this had happened several times Lady Asquith riposted,
>> >> "My dear, the final 't' is silent as in Harlow."
>> >> [End excerpt]
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Cite: 1948, Mixed Grill by Sir George Leveson Gower, [Second and
>> >> enlarged edition 1948; first edition was 1947], Page 52, Frederick
>> >> Muller Ltd., London. (Verified on paper)
>> >> [Begin excerpt]
>> >> JEAN HARLOW, a pretty young film star, was a friend of Anthony
>> >> Asquith, who is a film producer. She asked Margot to call her "Jean",
>> >> and presently asked whether she might call her "Margot", (rhyming to
>> >> forgot"). "Certainly not!" "But why not? Of course I know that you are
>> >> older than me and more important; but still - as you call me 'Jean' .
>> >> . ." "That's not the reason." "But, then, what is it?" "Because it's
>> >> not my name." "But I see you everywhere described so." " Yes, but not
>> >> pronounced so. It should be 'Margo', without the 't'; just as your own
>> >> name is 'Harlow'."
>> >> [End excerpt]
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Cite: 1965 June 03, San Mateo Times, Lyons Den by Leonard Lyons, Page
>> >> 32, Column 2, [GNB Page 38], San Mateo, California. (GenealogyBank)
>> >> [Begin excerpt]
>> >> One of the Jean Harlow legends in London is about her being introduced
>> >> to Margot Asquith. Miss Harlow immediately starting addressing her by
>> >> her first name, and mispronounced it as "Margott." It was, "Believe
>> >> me, Margott," and "I tell you. Margott." The British lady resented
>> >> this informality and said: "It's Margo. The 't' is silent — as in
>> >> Harlow."
>> >> [End excerpt]
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Nigel Rees, Fred Shapiro and others have mentioned the possibility
>> >> that the anecdote was based on an encounter between Jean Harlow and a
>> >> different Margot, i.e., Margot Grahame instead of Margot Asquith. Here
>> >> is a relevant citation in 1995:
>> >>
>> >> Cite 1995: Hollywood Babble On: Stars Gossip About Stars by Boze
>> >> Hadleigh, Page 52, Birch Lane Press Book of Carol Publishing Group,
>> >> Secaucus, New Jersey. (Verified on paper)
>> >> [Begin excerpt]
>> >> If you must know, I was a platinum blond bombshell before Jean Harlow
>> >> was. I went to Hollywood [from England], and there I met Miss Harlow.
>> >> Now, my first name is pronounced Margo, but twice Miss Harlow
>> >> mispronounced it Margott, with a t. I really had nothing against her,
>> >> but I must have been irritated, for I said, "It's pronounced Margo.
>> >> The t is silent-as in your last name...."
>> >> -Margot Grahame
>> >> [End excerpt]
>> >>
>> >> Garson
>> >>
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