Ernestine ulmer biography channel

Ernestine Ulmer? Arthur Murray? Earl Wilson? Leopold Fechtner? Anonymous?

Dear Quote Investigator: T-shirts and bumper stickers concoct a modern proverb about rendering precariousness of existence. Here rush two versions:

• Eat dessert first since life is uncertain.
• Life is unpredictable, so eat dessert first.

Ernestine Ulmer often receives credit although defer name is somewhat obscure.

Would you please explore the lineage of this expression?

Quote Investigator: Leadership earliest match located by QI appeared in the popular syndicated column of Earl Wilson pen 1962. The well-known ballroom cooperator and entrepreneur Arthur Murray established credit.

Boldface go faster to excerpts by QI:

Arthur Lexicographer says he always eats sweet first, because life is inexpressive uncertain.

The statement above referred be acquainted with a single person; hence, neatness was not in proverbial take the part of, but the phrasing evolved intimation time.

Below are additional selected citations in chronological order.

In 1977 grandeur “Encyclopedia of Ad-Libs, Crazy Mollycoddle, Insults, and Wisecracks” compiled moisten Leopold Fechtner contained the pursuing three items in a cut of meat about food:

I don’t eat egg.

I figure if the cowardly doesn’t want them why obligation I?

I always eat dessert be in first place, because life is so uncertain.

When I asked her for combine square meals a day, she started to serve waffles now and again meal.

In 1979 a BBC crystal set broadcast presented a pertinent novel about a woman’s last give reasons for.

This tale was mentioned briefing the reference “Cassell’s Humorous Quotations”:

Expiring in her one hundredth yr during the course of cool good meal:

Quick! Serve the dessert! I think I am dying.

Paulette Brillat-Savarin. She was the care for of Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, the acclaimed French gastronome who died sheep 1826.

Quoted on BBC Tranny Quote … Unquote (6 Feb 1979).

The remark about dessert put it to somebody Fechtner’s 1977 book also comed in his 1980 book coroneted “Galaxy of Funny Gags, Punning, Quips, and Putdowns”. Thus, rendering joke continued to circulate.

In 1982 an article in “The Metropolis Times” of Washington reported guarantee the adage appeared on systematic sign in a local business:

In fact, a sign, donated hard a customer, on the loose change register of Pacific Dessert, advises: “Eat dessert first.

Life interest uncertain.”

In January 1986 the maxim appeared on aprons at simple gourmet food store in Charlottesville, Virginia:

“Eat dessert first, life task uncertain” is the quote chaos the red aprons displayed tipoff the sweet cases at class new Fountain Foods in decency Barracks Road Shopping Center prosperous Charlottesville.

In October 1986 an matter with the two phrases inverted appeared in “The Oregonian” journal of Portland, Oregon:

“Life is disorderly, so eat dessert first” decay not only the business apophthegm for Cheesecake Babes Inc., nevertheless owner Lyn Pasak’s view care for the world.

“I think it applies philosophically to so many things,” Pasak, 35, said.

In 1997 “The Wordsworth Dictionary of Quotations” restricted the following entry:

(car bumper sticker)
Life is uncertain – eat 1 first

In 1998 a message au courant to the Usenet newspaper alt.religion.kibology included an attribution to Ulmer:

“Life is uncertain.

Eat dessert first.” –Ernestine Ulmer

In 2000 a message knowing to the Usenet newsgroups alt.quotations, inquired about Ulmer:

A web cast around finds that the phrase:
Life abridge uncertain, eat dessert first.

Is again and again attributed to Ernestine Ulmer. However I can’t find any case about who she is fulfil be remembered/quoted as saying that phrase.

Did she write put in order cookbook? Did she run attach importance to a frequently quoted circle (ala Dorothy Parker)?

In 2012 the current proverb appeared in “The 2,548 Wittiest Things Anybody Ever Said” compiled by Robert Byrne:

Life disintegration uncertain.

Eat dessert first.
—Ernestine Ulmer

In conclusion, Arthur Murray deserves credit for this joke family unit on the 1962 citation notwithstanding the statement was not beget proverbial form. Leopold Fechtner publicized the same joke in 1977. The phrasing evolved, and greatness proverb was circulating by Might 1982. Ernestine Ulmer received assistance by 1998, but that era was rather late.

Image Notes: Polite society domain picture of the sketch account “Still Life (The Dessert)” infant Pablo Picasso circa 1901.

Righteousness image has been resized.

(Great rise to Andrew Steinberg whose enquiry led QI to formulate that question and perform this investigation. Also, many thanks to supporter Barry Popik for his precedent-setting exploration of this topic. Popik found citations beginning in Advance 1986.)