Damned if you do...

Posted by ESC on October 26, 2000

In Reply to: Damned if you do posted by B Knutson on October 26, 2000

: Does anyone who where the phrase damned if you do damned if you don't originated from? We are involved in a scavenger hunt and one of the clues is "It's a lot of words to say, damned if you do damned if you don't." Can you help.

DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON'T - "Early American evangelist Lorenzo Dow (d. 1834) coined these words while condenming other preachers who 'make the Bible clash and contradict itself, by preaching somewhat like this: 'You can and you can't - You shall and you shan't - You will and you won't - And you will be damned if you do - And you will be damned if you don't.'" From Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997)

• Damned if you do... joel 11/04/00