[Ads-l] Don't Tell a Lie About Me (&c.

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

George Thompson wrote:
> I see that YBQ credits Adlai Stevenson in 1951 for the idea "Don't tell a
> lie about me, and I won't tell the truth about you", in his case, a
> challenge addressed to the Republicans.
>
> My invaluable local radio station, WHRW, 950 -- don't try to get it if you
> live more than 40 miles from Poughkeepsie -- has just played a record made
> by the Ink Spots in 1943: Don't Tell a Lie About Me, Dear (And I Won't Tell
> the Truth About You)
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6K6wNoORoc

Thanks, GAT. The family of sayings containing the lyric from the Ink
Spots and the remark attributed to Adlai Stevenson has been explored
in a Quote Investigator article.

If You Stop Telling Lies About Us We Will Stop Telling the Truth About You
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/06/09/stop-lies/

Previous researchers have examined this topic, e.g., Suzy Platt,
Ralph Keyes, Nigel Rees, Fred Shapiro, and Barry Popik.

The QI article contains new earlier citations including the first
direct nineteenth century evidence showing Chauncey Depew used the
saying.

No doubt the results can be further improved.
Garson

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