[Ads-l] Adage: Youth is wasted on the young (George Bernard Shaw variant April 22, 1931)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Excellent citation, Stephen. Thanks. Inspired by your discovery I
located an earlier citation.

[ref] 1931 February 14, Rockford Register-Republic, Cook-Coos by Ted
Cook (King Features Syndicate), Quote Page 8, Column 1, Rockford,
Illinois. (GenealogyBank)[/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
Someone asked Bernard Shaw what, in his opinion, is the most beautiful
thing in this world.

"Youth," he replied, "is the most beautiful thing in this world---and
what a pity that it has to be wasted on children!"
[End excerpt]

Garson


On Mon, Sep 7, 2015 at 8:17 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Adage: Youth is wasted on the young (George Bernard Shaw
>               variant April 22, 1931)
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Not earlier, but another 1931 variant; Irvin S. Cobb, interviewed by Harry =
> Goldberg. Perhaps you have it already. I wonder if there is any basis to th=
> e claim that is from Shaw and "recent."=20
>
> He quoted with deep feeling the recent epigram from Bernard Shaw: "The most=
>  precious thing in the world is youth. Too bad it is wasted on children."
>
> May 10, 1931 Times-Picayune [New Orleans][AHN] p.83 col. 6.
>
> Stephen Goranson
> http://people.duke.edu/~goranson/
> _______________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society ... on behalf of ADSGarson O'Toole ...
> Sent: Sunday, September 6, 2015 2:38 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: [ADS-L] Adage: Youth is wasted on the young (George Bernard Shaw v=
> ariant April 22, 1931)
>
> The well-known saying "Youth is wasted on the young" is commonly
> attributed to George Bernard Shaw. Back in 2011, I located a New York
> Times citation with a date of December 28, 1931 and shared it with
> Charlie off-list. (Charlie may have already had that cite in his
> files.) I was planning to create a website entry on the topic, but
> indolence and distraction were victorious. The citation was the first
> listed in The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs.
>
> Prodded by another email request, I searched again and was able to
> find an earlier pertinent citation:
>
> [ref] 1931 April 22, Denton Record-Chronicle, New York Day by Day by
> O. O. McIntyre, Quote Page 8, Column 2, Denton, Texas.
> (Newspapers_com)[/ref]
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Lyda Roberti, that flaxen haired Polish "discovery" of Lou Holz,
> continues to be welcomed joyously among the Broadway crowds. Her
> youthfulness, marvelous mop of bright hair and comic paper dialect
> encompass a combination seldom attained among the bright lights. Youth
> is always wonderful. As George Bernard once exclaimed, it seems a
> shame to waste it on children.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Earlier evidence and feedback welcome,
> Garson
>
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