[Ads-l] Quote: Diplomacy frequently consists in soothingly saying =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=9CNice_doggie=E2=80=9D_?=until you have a chance to pick up a rock

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Here is the link to the Quote Investigator analysis of the statement
in the subject line.
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/12/18/diplomacy/

Garson

On Mon, Dec 18, 2017 at 11:35 PM, ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> I found the statement in the subject line attributed to sportswriter
> Walter Trumbull in the “The Honolulu Advertiser” in 1925.
>
> There are many versions of the saying, e.g.:
> 1) Democracy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.
> 2) The art of diplomacy is saying, 'nice doggie, nice doggie,' until
> you can find a stick.
>
> The saying has been examined by various references: Brewer's Famous
> Quotations by Nigel Rees, The Cynic's Lexicon by Jonathon Green, The
> Penguin Dictionary of Modern Humorous Quotations, Wikiquote, Barry
> Popik's website and more.
>
> Previously the earliest citations were in the 1950s.
>
> [Begin acknowledgment]
> Great thanks to rone whose inquiry led QI to formulate this question
> and perform this exploration. Special thanks to Barry Popik, Nigel
> Rees, and the volunteer editors of Wikiquote for their pioneering
> research. Popik found citations beginning in 1954. Wikiquote pointed
> to a 1953 match.
> [End acknowledgment]
>
> Feedback welcome
> Garson

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