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Conference thebay::joyoflex

Title:The Joy of Lex
Notice:A Notes File even your grammar could love
Moderator:THEBAY::SYSTEM
Created:Fri Feb 28 1986
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1192
Total number of notes:42769

947.0. "Did Heinlein invent it?" by KURTAN::WESTERBACK (After all, who is John Galt?) Fri Feb 21 1992 08:52

    Can anyone tell me anything about the origin of the construction
    "Have <noun>, will <verb>" as for example:
    
    Have spacesuit, will travel
    Have pun, will babble
    
    Hans
    
    
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947.1VALKYR::RUSTFri Feb 21 1992 09:247
    Well, it probably originated in various advertisements for travelling
    salespeople and whatnot - "Have car, will travel," as opposed to "Have
    no car, want to stay at home"... But the phrase became best known after
    being used as the title of an old U.S.A. television western about a
    hired gun, whose business card read, "Have Gun, Will Travel".
    
    -b
947.2HopeWHO301::BOWERSDave Bowers @WHOFri Feb 21 1992 10:324
The first use of this form in a title was Bob Hope's autobiography, "Have Tux, 
Will Travel."

-dave
947.3Looking for a gig.SKIVT::ROGERSWhat a long strange trip it's been.Fri Feb 21 1992 13:435
...and the "Have Tux, Will Travel" construction came from Jobs Wanted ads 
in Variety and Billboard by musicians looking for band work in the 20's. 


Larry_whose_father_played_piano,_had_a_tux,_and_did_travel
947.4WHO301::BOWERSDave Bowers @WHOFri Feb 21 1992 15:584
Thanks for the authoritative info.  I thought the title had its origin in
Hope's early career in vaudeville, but wasn't sure.

-dave
947.5Have grok, will trammelCALS::THACKERAYWed Jun 03 1992 17:211