"You pays your money and you takes your choice."

Posted by ESC on November 23, 2004

In Reply to: "You pays your money and you takes your choice." posted by fred portnoy on November 23, 2004

: I used this phrase today, and someone asked me where it came from. Help!

Googling found this: Punch, a English humorous weekly periodical, 1841-1992. Quotations:
You pays your money and you takes your choice. (vol.10, p.17, 1846)

Another source is in agreement with the above -- it is Cockney speech recorded in Punch in 1846. From Dictionary of Catch Phrases: American and British, from the Sixteenth Century to the Present Day by Eric Partridge, updated and edited by Paul Beal, Scarborough House, Lanham, Md., 1992)

• You pays your money ... ESC 23/November/04
  • ...and you takes your chances? Brian from Shawnee 24/November/04
    • ...and you takes your chances? ESC 24/November/04