Not tonight Joséphine


What's the meaning of the phrase 'Not tonight Josephine'?

This is the supposed response by Napoleon Bonaparte when declining sex with Empress Joséphine.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Not tonight Josephine'?

There’s no evidence whatsoever that Napoleon ever uttered these words. There’s certainly no printed record of them in any language in his lifetime. The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations lists the phrase as early 20th century. The earliest reference that I can find is to a 1911 recording of a song with that name, composed by Seymour Furth and sung by Ada Jones and Billy Murray.

Why the phrase came to be coined isn’t clear. Had it been earlier it might be plausible that it was a piece of anti-Napoleonic sentiment, which was rife in England a century before that song was penned. By the 20th century the strong feelings against Napoleon had abated. The couple were divorced, so it may be that it refers to some real or imagined event in Napoleon and Joséphine’s life.

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Not tonight Joséphine

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