[Ads-l] Quote Origin: Life Is Like a Roll of Toilet Paper. The Closer It Gets to the End, the Faster It Goes

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The average age of active ADS list members seems to be climbing;
hence, the saying in the subject line might be apropos. The earliest
close match I found appeared on December 25, 1985, within a column by
Vic Smith published in “The Florida Times-Union” of Jacksonville,
Florida. Smith specified an anonymous attribution:

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-florida-times-union-toiletpaper/208163661

[Begin excerpt]
I guess it's like I heard a feller say not long ago: Life is like a
roll of toilet paper -- the closer you get to the end of it, the
faster it goes.
[End excerpt]

The common and implausible ascription to Andy Rooney appeared many
years later in 2000. Here is a link to the QI article:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2026/10/15/roll-paper/

Feedback welcome
Garson O'Toole

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