Good night, nurse!

Posted by R. Berg on October 18, 2001

In Reply to: GOOD NIGHT posted by L HOLT on October 18, 2001

: DOES ANYBODY KNOW THE ORIGIN OF "GOODNIGHT NURSE"? THANKS

From Eric Partridge, Dictionary of Catch Phrases: American and British, from the Sixteenth Century to the Present Day:

"Good night, nurse!," although it prob. dates from c. 1910, became popular during--and largely because of--WW1, with particular ref. to the naval and military hospitals for Other Ranks. It is synon. with and clearly prompted by the simple, the basic, "good night!"