[Ads-l] Quote: Kind to her inferiors. And where does she find them? (antedating Dorothy Parker 1941 January 4)

[Joel Berson]

I suggest that the 1867 quote, "respectful to superiors, and kind to inferiors and equals", doesn't really belong to the chain of not being able to find any inferiors.  
It's rather in the tradition of the moral imperative of the late 17th & 18th centuries to defer to one's superiors and be obliging (courteous, civil, accommodating) and condescending (from the verb, "‘To depart from the privileges of superiority by a voluntary submission; to sink willingly to equal terms with inferiours’ (Johnson)") to one's inferiors.

The first part of the 1770 quotation from Dr. Johnson, "she was remarkable for her humility and condescension to inferiours, he observed, that those were very laudable qualities", also fits this -- humble before superiors, condescending towards inferiors.  

I agree with Garson, however, that the second part of the witty Johnson's observation does mesh with Dorothy Parker:  "but it might not be so easy to discover who the lady’s inferiours were."
Joel
________________________________


From: ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
Sent: Saturday, April 18, 2015 1:46 PM
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] Quote: Kind to her inferiors. And where does she find them? (antedating Dorothy Parker 1941 January 4)


During the antediluvian era of August 2010 I posted to the list an
antedating for a joke ascribed to Dorothy Parker. The hoary electronic
message is attached to the bottom of this post.

Now a new article presenting additional research on this topic is
available for your perusal at the QuIn website. Feedback welcome.

"She Is Always Kind to Her Inferiors" "But Where Does She Find Them?"
http://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/04/18/inferior/

Garson

On Sat, Aug 7, 2010 at 6:16 PM, Garson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> The Yale Book of Quotations currently lists a 1955 citation for the
> witticism delivered by Dorothy Parker in the anecdote below:
>
> Cite: 1941 January 4, The New Yorker, "Profiles: The Candor Kid - Part
> 1", Page 22, New York. (The New Yorker archive)
>
> At a dinner in Hollywood last year, at which Dorothy Parker was
> present, Miss Boothe's name was mentioned, and a woman friend of hers
> at the table found herself in the familiar, bristling position of
> defence. She spoke at length of Miss Boothe's generosity, of the way
> she often helped less gifted people with money and with letters of
> introduction to her own influential acquaintances, and she ended, not
> too happily, by declaring, "Clare Boothe is always kind to her
> inferiors." Mrs. Parker looked up wanly. "And where," she inquired,
> "does she find them?"
>
> Garson

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org