A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Entry from August 27, 2014
“A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time: pills or stairs”

“A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time: pills or stairs” is a popular one-line saying about fitness. “The condition of a man can be judged by what he takes two at a time—pills or stairs” was cited in print in February 1954, but no one was credited with the quotation. The line was printed in several newspapers in 1954, but authorship remains unknown.
 
Joan Welsh—it’s not known who this is—has usually been credited with the line, but only since 1977.
 
 
23 February 1954, Winona (MN) Republican-Herald, “It Happened Last Night” by Earl Wilson, pg. 4, col. 3:
WISH I’D SAID THAT: “The condition of a man can be judged by what he takes two at a time—pills or stairs.”—Quote.
   
22 March 1954, The Daily Chronicle (Centralia, WA),  “The Monday Tattler, pg. 5, col. 1:
Doc Garnett reports the condition of a man can be judged by what he takes two at a time—pills or stairs.
 
24 October 1954, San Diego (CA) Union, “Northeast Corner,” pg. C-2, col. 6:
Maurice Sloper says you can always tell how a man feels by watching things he takes two at a time—stairs or pills.
   
24 December 1954, The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, OK), pg. A3, col. 1:
The condition a man is in can best be judged from what he takes two of at a time—stairs or pills.—Wall Street Journal.
 
7 November 1955, Aberdeen (SD) American-News, “It Happened Last Night” by Earl WIlson, pg. 4, col. 5:
WISH I’D SAID THAT: “You can always tell how healthy a man is,” says Jan Murray, “by what he takes two at a time—stairs or pills.”
 
31 May 1959, Sunday World-Herald (Omaha, NE), “You Can Say That Again!,” The Week magazine, pg. 4, col. 4:
Abe Martin: You can tell how healthy a man is by what he takes two at a time—stairs or pills.
 
Google Books
Toastmaster’s Treasury:
A Complete Guide for the Toastmaster, Master of Ceremonies, and Program Chairman

By Edward L. Friedman
New York, NY: Harper
1960
Pg. 177:
You can’t tell a woman’s age, but you can always tell a man’s age by what he takes two at a time— stairs or pills.
 
Google News Archive
8 June 1970, Sarasota (FL) Journal, “Headache Remedies In Great Demand” by Hal Boyle (AP), pg. 8-A, col. 3:
Worth Remembering: “A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time—pills or stairs.”
 
Google Books
Quote Unquote
By Lloyd Cory
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books
1977
Pg. 149:
A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time — pills or stairs. (Joan Welsh)
   
Google Books
Retire & Rejoice
By Blackie Scott
Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers
1988
Pg. 40:
A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time: pills or stairs.
 
Google Books
Tweet This Book:
The 1,400 Greatest Quotes of All Time in 140 Characters Or Less

Edited by Sayre Van Young and Marin Van Young
Berkeley, CA: Ulysses Press
2011
Pg. 77:
A man’s health can be judged by which he takes two at a time—pills or stairs.
Joan Welsh

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityExercise/Running/Health Clubs • Wednesday, August 27, 2014 • Permalink


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