[Ads-l] Quip: Whoever named it necking was a poor judge of anatomy

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The QI article has now been updated, and Robert Quillen receives
tentative credit for the first instance of the quip in the subject
line.

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2022/07/28/necking/

[Begin excerpt]
Thanks to researcher Bill Mullins who located a 1935 citation for the
variant with “revolver”. Also, thanks to discussant John Baker.
Special thanks to Pete Morris who found matches in Google Books for
instances using “ignorant of anatomy” and “knew nothing of anatomy”
circa mid 1940s and early 1950s.
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Mon, Aug 8, 2022 at 5:14 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Great work, Pete. Thanks for sharing your discoveries. In the near
> future I will update the QI article and acknowledge your help.
> Following your lead I looked in newspapers.com to find citations with
> solid dates. Here is an instance in 1943.
>
> [ref] 1943 June 16, The News and Observer, Paragraphs by Robert
> Quillen, Quote Page 4, Column 6, Raleigh, North Carolina.
> (Newspapers_com) [/ref]
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Whoever named it necking was strangely ignorant of anatomy.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Here are some other precursors.
>
> [ref] 1929 November 21, The Tilden Citizen, Knot-Holes (Advertisement
> for Tilden Lumber Company), Quote Page 8, Column 4, Tilden, Nebraska.
> (Newspapers_com) [/ref]
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> Otto says the fellow that named it necking was way above him.
> [End excerpt]
>
> [ref] 1932 September 22, Greenville Daily Advocate, Pollyanna, Quote
> Page 4, Column 4, Greenville, Ohio. (Newspapers_com) [/ref]
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> The fellow who named it necking was a poor judge of distance.
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
>
> On Sat, Aug 6, 2022 at 2:41 PM Pete Morris <mr_peter_morris at outlook.com> wrote:
> >
> > And some more
> >
> > https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Petroleum_Management/ljRAAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&dq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&printsec=frontcover
> >
> > https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Typo_Graphic/APIoAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&dq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&printsec=frontcover
> >
> > https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/World_Oil/5IPmAAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&dq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&printsec=frontcover
> >
> > https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Oil_Weekly/WWVAAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&dq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&printsec=frontcover
> >
> >
> > https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Poultry_Farmer/mEhPAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&dq=%22named+it+necking%22+anatomy&printsec=frontcover
> >
> > It seems that several of the hits are journals relating to
> > oil/petroleum.  I wonder why.
> >
> > ------ Original Message ------
> > From "ADSGarson O'Toole" <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> > To ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > Date 06/08/2022 16:12:41
> > Subject Re: Quip: Whoever named it necking was a poor judge of anatomy
> >
> > >Bill Mullins wrote:
> > >>Similarly inspired:
> > >>Asbury Park [NJ] Evening Press 07 June 1935: p. 8.
> > >>
> > >>"The burglar who stuck his revolver in the pit of his victim's stomach and
> > >>told him to hold up his hands or he would blow out his brains is a poor
> > >>student of anatomy. – GRAND ISLAND (Neb.) INDEPENDENT."
> > >
> > >Thanks for the excellent citation you posted on July 29, Bill. You
> > >found a precursor joke in 1935. Following your lead, I located an
> > >earlier instance in 1931.
> > >
> > >[ref] 1931 May 2, The Grand Island Daily Independent, Today’s
> > >Quotation, Quote Page 6, Column 1, Grand Island, Nebraska.
> > >(Newspapers_com) [/ref]
> > >
> > >[Begin excerpt]
> > >The highwayman who stuck a revolver in the pit of a man’s stomach and
> > >said: “Hold up your hands or I’ll blow out your brains,” was a poor
> > >student of anatomy.
> > >[End excerpt]
> > >
> > >The Quote Investigator article has now been updated and your help has
> > >been acknowledged. Changes should be visible within 48 hours.
> > >https://quoteinvestigator.com/2022/07/28/necking/
> > >
> > >Garson
> > >
> > >------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
> >
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