Origin of the phrase "old ... never die; they just ..."

Posted by Becker on January 11, 2002 at

I have long been wondering about the origin of the often-used phrase "old ... never die; they just".

In my school, there used to be an inscription saying "old teachers never die; they just lose their class".

Would anyone know the origin of this phrase ? Did anyone famous utter it for the first time ?

Thanks in advance for any help,

D. Becker

• Re: Origin of the phrase "old ... never die; they just ..." James Briggs 01/11/02
  • Re: "Old soldiers never die ..." R Berg 01/11/02
    • Re: "Old soldiers never die ..." Bob 01/11/02
      • Re: "Old soldiers never die ..." James Briggs 01/11/02
        • Re: "Old soldiers never die ..." James Briggs 01/11/02
          • Many thanks for "Old soldiers never die ..." Becker 01/14/02