[Ads-l] Quote Origin: Luck Is the Residue of Design

ADSGarson O'Toole adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM
Thu Oct 17 20:57:56 UTC 2024


LH asked me to explore the saying in the subject line. Barry Popik
found the earliest citation dated November 1, 1915 in which U.S.
sports executive Branch Rickey used the expression. "The New Yale Book
of Quotations" also lists this 1915 citation.

https://barrypopik.com/blog/luck_is_the_residue_of_design_dodgers_executive_branch_rickey

The saying has implausibly been credited to the major English poet
John Milton. I found two candidate quotations about chance employed by
Milton, but neither is a strong match. Milton received credit by 2006.

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/10/11/luck-residue/

Feedback welcome
Garson

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