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Discussion Groups / English Usage / August 2007Origin of "You can't make this stuff up"
Who coined the meme, "You can't make this stuff up"? Many webpages mention Dave Barry and Molly Ivins, and then there's this webpage: http://www.joesherlock.com/Simpsons.html "...In The Simpsons, when Bart and Milhouse take over running the comic book store, there's a mention of the 'Bloodzilla' comic of which Bart says, "A vampire dinosaur! You can't make this stuff up!"... The earliest date I was able to identify was 1 Jan 1992: http://www.ephrononmedia.com/article_archive/articleViewerPublic.asp?articleID=57 http://tinyurl.com/2p78nd THE DAY THE PRICES FELL Norman King Stuck It To the full-service Agency and Changed the Media Business Forever. By Erwin Ephron ...Today Norman King calls himself an "international banker and part- time author." His latest published work is "Madonna: The Book." You can't make this stuff up. - January 1, 1992 - [end excerpt] I'm sure auers who have newspaper archive search subscriptions will be able to antedate 1992 by a wide margin. -- Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego > Who coined the meme, "You can't make this stuff up"? I suppose you are looking for that precise wording. The concept in general has been around for ages, such as this (Google Books): 1874 One could not invent such a story in a moment, especially with a sword at one's throat. [snip various] > http://tinyurl.com/2p78nd > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > I'm sure auers who have newspaper archive search subscriptions will be > able to antedate 1992 by a wide margin. That's right around the time Google Books shows it first - 1993. One is baseball talk, and perhaps sports is the origin; the other is Congressional testimony, which shows that it was a current catchphrase. Baseball: Four Decades of Sports Illustrated's Finest Writing on America's Favorite Pastime - Page 280 by Sports Illustrated Staff, Sports Illustrated - Sports & Recreation - 1993 You can't make this stuff up. Toronto was playing with the top down on June 7, 1989, when a biblical rain began falling on the Blue Jays and the Milwaukee ... Toward a Disposable Workforce: The Increasing Use of "contingent" Labor : Hearing Before the ... - Page 21 by United States Congress. Senate. Committee on Labor and Human Resources. - 1993 - You can't make this stuff up. Senator DODD. No. And the members of those unions are paying -- I forget the total amount, but the amount that they are paying ...  SignatureBest -- Donna Richoux > Who coined the meme, "You can't make this stuff up"? > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > The earliest date I was able to identify was 1 Jan 1992: http://www.ephrononmedia.com/article_archive/articleViewerPublic.asp?articleID=57 > http://tinyurl.com/2p78nd > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > I'm sure auers who have newspaper archive search subscriptions will be > able to antedate 1992 by a wide margin. The original phrase is: "I'm not making this up." I would imagine that transformation from serious plea to humorous awe came in the radio-variety era, but, you're right, it'd be nice to find some early examples. Adrian >> Who coined the meme, "You can't make this stuff up"? >> [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > >Adrian King James version. 'Verily, verily I say unto thee'. > The original phrase is: "I'm not making this up." I would imagine that > transformation from serious plea to humorous awe came in the radio-variety > era, but, you're right, it'd be nice to find some early examples. Canadian singer/comedian Anna Russell, who spun hilarious yarns about opera and opera singing, was famous for saying "I'm not making this up, you know." Always got a big laugh. It was also the title of her autobiography (1985). tinwhistler quoted and wrote: "...In The Simpsons, when Bart and Milhouse take over running the comic book store, there's a mention of the 'Bloodzilla' comic of which Bart says, "A vampire dinosaur! You can't make this stuff up!"... The earliest date I was able to identify was 1 Jan 1992: The original phrase is: "I'm not making this up." With variations such as "Hey, We don't make this stuff UP, folks." But first, there is an 1989 usenet use that differs only one iota from the exact phrase: hair length at work (new discussion) Group: misc.jobs.misc At least then you have an idea of what to expect. And don't forget about beards, and how some people view these (and to a lesser degree, mustaches) as a sign that you are the type of person who has something to hide. Honestly, you couldn't make this stuff up. - Arny Engelson att!wayback!arny. Jun 24 1989 by arny.b.engelson For the variations from news snippets: You think I just sit here and make this stuff up, I'll bet. Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution - NewsBank - Apr 6, 1985 (no, folks, I Don't make this stuff up. I only wish I did.) "Mules can't have Mules, can Mules?" she said, looking at me with questioning eyes. ... Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution - NewsBank - Jan 14, 1986 People think we make this stuff up. But we`re not that inventive - all this is real. Even this: Just in time for The holidays, ... Charlotte Observer, The we don't make this stuff up. St. Louis Post-Dispatch - NewsBank - Apr 20, 1988 (Hey, We don't make this stuff UP, folks.) but Palmer wasn't about to miss this meeting. So he hired an ambulance and came rolling in on A stretcher, ... Miami Herald - NewsBank - Jul 15, 1983 -- --------------------------------------------- Richard Maurer To reply, remove half Sunnyvale, California of a homonym of a synonym for also. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (Zombie alien vampire dinosaurs) [snip] > The earliest date I was able to identify was 1 Jan 1992: > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > But first, there is an 1989 usenet use that differs > only one iota from the exact phrase: [snip] Looks as if you used some newspaper search engines -- thanks for searching. -- Aloha ~~~ Ozzie Maland ~~~ San Diego |
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