[Ads-l] My work here is done

[George Thompson]

I listened to the Lone Ranger on the radio -- the family didn't get a
television until 1954, by which time I was much too mature for such
childish stuff (13).  I recall (I think) that the radio show would end with
the Lone Ranger saying "*Our* work here is done, Tonto" -- he wouldn't
claim all the credit -- followed by the clatter of hooves.
It might not have been used in the TV show, because that could end with the
sight of them riding off, while a grateful townfellow was saying "Who was
that masked man?' -- which was also a quotation, way back when.

If there are tapes accessible of the radio show, you only have to listen to
the last couple of minutes.

What does Wilson Gray remember of it?

GAT

On Wed, Oct 18, 2023 at 4:23 PM dave at wilton.net <dave at wilton.net> wrote:

>
> Thanks for pointing out the YouTube channel.
>
> I've looked at a number of episodes (but far from all; that would be a
> task). I did turn up a handful of episodes where the Lone Ranger says
> something like "Tonto, our work here is finished." Or "Tonto, our job is
> done here."
>
> It really does look like a misremembered line along the lines of "Badges,
> we don't need no stinking badges." And it was hardly a routine signoff to
> the episodes.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: "Stephen Goranson" <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2023 12:17pm
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ADS-L] My work here is done
>
>
>
> Another character says this about him:
> "He's gone, Dad; he never stays around once his work is done."
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.youtube.com_watch-3Fv-3DRb7ORC-5FsCnY&d=DwIFaQ&c=slrrB7dE8n7gBJbeO0g-IQ&r=v2Wtu7DQZxSBMSJv-oEMNg&m=gvOa796l6OE_haNARtsV7iwKFtjEDKzW_aF_841ThzxhHIx2z1z-0IWxcmr1F57i&s=b35svM0Pr6CGdkUCqbjMuN1OVhtHSdtmgsLAENn1UmA&e=
> 1.03
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> dave at wilton.net <dave at WILTON.NET>
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2023 11:53 AM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: My work here is done
>
>
> Languagehat has a nice write up on the catchphrase "my work here is done."
> [
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://languagehat.com/my-work-here-is-done/__;!!OToaGQ!uETnWgs-cV_1IqMradPPA8VOBMuCCoNL_Upg7FhsfjVw02tjaWFlAFK2EAeRB1u-Hrx_DhDvBLJb$
> ](
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://languagehat.com/my-work-here-is-done/__;!!OToaGQ!uETnWgs-cV_1IqMradPPA8VOBMuCCoNL_Upg7FhsfjVw02tjaWFlAFK2EAeRB1u-Hrx_DhDvBLJb$
> )
>
> The catchphrase is almost universally attributed to the Lone Ranger, but I
> have been unable to find an actual example from an episode of the radio
> show or television series that uses the phrase.
>
> Of course, most of the episodes are not readily available, and even fewer
> have been transcribed to make them readily searchable. (I listened to a
> number of the radio recordings but gave it up as being too time consuming
> before finding an example.)
>
> There are probably examples out there, but I'm beginning to wonder if this
> is an example of the Mandela effect.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas on where to look?
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society -
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.americandialect.org__;!!OToaGQ!uETnWgs-cV_1IqMradPPA8VOBMuCCoNL_Upg7FhsfjVw02tjaWFlAFK2EAeRB1u-Hrx_DhBtnxbK$
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society -
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=DwIFaQ&c=slrrB7dE8n7gBJbeO0g-IQ&r=v2Wtu7DQZxSBMSJv-oEMNg&m=gvOa796l6OE_haNARtsV7iwKFtjEDKzW_aF_841ThzxhHIx2z1z-0IWxcmr1F57i&s=EdY99pmVsdHcsYhviDz6aOLLkYdLgGpqaWDiz5vnsvQ&e=
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society -
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.americandialect.org&d=DwIFaQ&c=slrrB7dE8n7gBJbeO0g-IQ&r=v2Wtu7DQZxSBMSJv-oEMNg&m=gvOa796l6OE_haNARtsV7iwKFtjEDKzW_aF_841ThzxhHIx2z1z-0IWxcmr1F57i&s=EdY99pmVsdHcsYhviDz6aOLLkYdLgGpqaWDiz5vnsvQ&e=
>


-- 
George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern
Univ. Pr., 1998.

But when aroused at the Trump of Doom / Ye shall start, bold kings, from
your lowly tomb. . .
L. H. Sigourney, "Burial of Mazeen", Poems.  Boston, 1827, p. 112

The Trump of Doom -- also known as The Dunghill Toadstool.  (Here's a
picture of his great-grandfather.)

https://heritagecollections.parliament.uk/collections/getrecord/HOP_WOA_3851

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