Caulfield:l Harry S. Truman said "Never complain, never explain." Even better: If you never listen to complaints, you'll do less explaining. Frazz: That wasn't Truman Caulfield: Not listening!
Truman may have said it, but it is not original with him. It is often attributed to Henry Ford, but it is not orginal with him either. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, the earliest attribution is to Disraeli in 1903. Elsie de Wolfe had it embroidered on her line of throw-pillows, possibly before Disraeli, though I’m not sure of that. The ODQ also points out that the thought, if not the exact phrasing, has been around so long it merely describes it as “proverbial.”
If Truman said “talk to the hand,” show me the source. I don’t think he ever said it; I think the phrase is much more recent than that.
chireef over 12 years ago
I don’t think people should say things like that … and let me tell you why …
chris_weaver over 12 years ago
Or as Truman once said, “Talk to the hand.”
Olddog1 over 12 years ago
capndunzzi: see AshburnStadium’s comment.
DutchUncle over 12 years ago
Maybe he heard the Chicago song? “America’s wond’ring how we got here; Harry, all we get is lies . . .”
Varnes over 12 years ago
Ha! Caufield set Frazz up!
cissycox over 12 years ago
Is part of the joke that Truman didn’t say that? Wasn’t it Lee Iocaca? Or maybe a Ford?
poihths over 12 years ago
Truman may have said it, but it is not original with him. It is often attributed to Henry Ford, but it is not orginal with him either. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, the earliest attribution is to Disraeli in 1903. Elsie de Wolfe had it embroidered on her line of throw-pillows, possibly before Disraeli, though I’m not sure of that. The ODQ also points out that the thought, if not the exact phrasing, has been around so long it merely describes it as “proverbial.”
If Truman said “talk to the hand,” show me the source. I don’t think he ever said it; I think the phrase is much more recent than that.
lauriehiggins over 12 years ago
@Ashburn Stadium: Thank you! I was about to post the same thing! :)