[Ads-l] Toast: Champagne for our real friends, real pain for your sham friends

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The saying in the subject line is listed in several references and
websites such as: Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations, Brewer's
Famous Quotations, The Comic Encyclopedia by Evan Esar, The Home Book
of Humorous Quotations edited by A. K. Adams, phrases.org.uk,
wikiquote.org, brainyquote.com.

I was sent a request to explore its provenance. If a list member can
find and share a  match before 1793 or other interesting information,
it would be appreciated.

Nigel Rees mentions the saying in his “Quote Unquote Newsletter” of
October 2016, and he indicates that it was circulating by 1838.

Barry Popik has an entry that begins with an 1809 citation.

https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/champagne_to_our_real_friends_and_real_pain_to_our_sham_friends/

Currently, the earliest evidence I’ve located appeared in a collection
of toasts from 1793. It’s a third edition, so the saying may have
occurred in the second or first editions which I haven’t seen.

Here are a few of the toasts. “Laurel water” was sometimes used as a poison.

[ref] 1793, The Royal Toastmaster: Containing Many Thousands of the
Best Toasts Old and New, Third Edition Improved, Quote Page 26,
Printed for J. Roach, London. (Google Books Full View) link [/ref]

https://books.google.com/books?id=c5hREGpvYwIC&q=Champaign#v=snippet&

[Begin excerpt]
Laurel water to the secret enemies of our glorious constitution.
Beauty without affectation, and merit without conceit.
Church and King.
Champaign to our real friends, and real pain to our sham ones.
[End excerpt]

A 1794 article in the "The Maryland Gazette" listed sixteen toasts
delivered at Mr. Golder's tavern in Annapolis, Maryland. Here were
two:

[ref] 1794 February 27, The Maryland Gazette, Section: Annapolis,
February 27, Quote Page 2, Column 3, Annapolis, Maryland.
(Newspapers_com) [/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
13. The Memory of all those who have bled in the cause of Liberty.
14. Pain to our Sham friends, and Champaigne to our Real ones.
[End excerpt]

Here is a match in a work from 1800.

[ref] 1800, Pocock's Everlasting Songster: Containing a Selection of
the most approved songs, which have been and are likely to be sung for
ever with Universal Applause; Also A Collection of Toasts &
Sentiments, Quote Page xxi, Printed by R. Popock & Sold by Messrs.
Robinson's, Gravesend, England. (Internet Archive at archive.org) link
[/ref]

https://archive.org/details/pocockseverlasti00pocouoft/page/n25

[Begin excerpt]
Champaign to our real friends, and real pain to our sham friends.
[End excerpt]

Thanks,
Garson O’Toole
QuoteInvestigator.com

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