[Ads-l] Proverb Origin: Every question has three sides your side, my side, and the right side (the truth, the correct one, the facts)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

I was sent an inquiry to explore the family of sayings in the subject
line. "The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs" has an entry that begins
with a 1903 citation.

This is a difficult topic to research because the members of this
family can be expressed in many ways. The earliest strong match I
found appeared in 1894 within "The Tamworth Herald" of Staffordshire,
England. The Reverend Wray Hunt, Vicar of Trowell, spoke at a meeting
of the Tamworth Cooperative Society. He argued that members of
cooperatives should act as mediators:

[ref] 1894 March 17, The Tamworth Herald, Tamworth Industrial
Co-operative Society, Address by Mr. Tom Mann, (Introductory words by
Wray Hunt), Quote Page 8, Column 6, Tamworth, Staffordshire, England.
(Newspapers_com) link [/ref]
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tamworth-herald-etc-tamworth/183825524/

[Begin excerpt]
They ought to be the mediators, and to occupy the proud position, to
which so few could attain, of seeing that there were really three
sides to the question -- my side, your side, and the right side --
(hear, hear). If they looked at it in that light they would arrive at
a correct solution of the question — (applause).
[End excerpt]

Based on this citation, Wray Hunt is the leading candidate for
originator of this family of sayings. However, this citation may be
antedated by future researchers, and the attribution may shift.

The 1894 citation implicitly refers to every question, but it does not
use the word every. The following 1897 citation does use the word
"every" with an anonymous attribution:

[ref] 1897 June 22, The Progressive Farmer, Letter title: The Other
Side, Letter from: T. Ivey Esq., Hillsboro, North Carolina, Quote Page
4, Column 1, Raleigh, North Carolina. (Newspapers_com) [/ref]

[Begin excerpt]
Somebody once used this very trite saying that "every question has
three sides your side, my side, and the right side." It any brother
has a real, or imaginary, side adverse to the Agency it is well for
the light to shine upon it.
[End excerpt]

Here is an overview showing selected published items together with
dates and attributions:

1887 Feb 03: Partial match: There are always three sides to every
question. First, the reasonable. Second, the plausible. Third, the
damnable. (Anonymous)

1890 Nov 05: Partial match: There were three sides to every question,
your side, your adversary's side, and the legal side (Mr. Tomlinson)

1892 Feb 03: Partial match: There are three sides to every question;
your side, my side and the inside. (Attributed to John A. Broadus)

1894 Mar 17: There were really three sides to the question — my side,
your side, and the right side (Rev. Wray Hunt, Vicar of Trowell)

1897 Jun 22: Every question has three sides your side, my side, and
the right side (Attributed to Anonymous)

1901 Jul 08: There are three sides to every question — his side, her
side and the right side. (credited to Dorothy Maddox Magazine)

1901 Oct 19: Partial match: To every question there were three sides:
my side, your side, and the inside. (Attributed to Rev Dr. Broadus)

1903 Aug 19: There are three sides to every question—your side, my
side, and the right side (Attributed to Dr. Carlisle)

1906: Partial match: There are three sides to the matter, as I have
told you—yours, the lady's, and mine (Nellie K. Blissett)

1915 Feb 20: Partial match: There are three sides to every story —
your side, his side, and the funny side (Anonymous)

1920 Nov 06: There's always three sides to every question — my side,
your side and the right side (Anonymous farmer in Virginia)

1921 Feb 06: Partial match: There are always three sides to a story.
Your side and my side and the other side (Attributed to Dr. J.
Whitcomb Brougher)

1921 Sep 08: There are three sides to every question: your side, the
other fellow's side, and Truth beyond that (Attributed to an unnamed
deceased prominent Canadian journalist)

1921 Dec: There are three sides to every story — The Pro Side, The Con
Side, The Plain Unvarnished Truth (Cartoon by an unnamed artist)

1923 Feb: There are three sides to most stories — "the other fellows,
mine, and the Truth" (Anonymous)

1925 May 02: Yes, there may be three sides to the question, "your
side, my side, and the truth" (Dr. T. F. Thorp)

1925 Dec: There are always two sides to a question and frequently
three—yours, mine and the right side (L. E. Keller)

1926 Mar: In every dispute there are not two sides but three—yours,
mine, and the correct one (George W. Paton)

1928 Aug 17: Almost every dispute has three sides—the other fellow's
side, your own side and the truth (Anonymous)

1934 Dec 13: There are three sides to every story—his, yours and the
truth! (Arthur Brisbane)

1958 Mar 3: There are Three Sides to Every Story — Yours, Mine and The
Facts (Sign in a drugstore in Calhoun, Georgia)

1968: Partial match: There are three sides to every argument: your
side, the other person's side, and to hell with it (Anonymous)

1986: Every story has three sides to it — yours, mine and the facts
(Attributed to Foster Meharny Russell)

The QI article about this proverb is scheduled for future posting.

Feedback welcome
Garson O'Toole
QuoteInvestigator.com

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