“Alcohol and calculus don’t mix—never drink and derive” is a humorous saying that has been printed on many gift items, such as T-shirts. The “never drink and derive” pun on “never drink and drive” is a very popular joke with mathematicians.
“Don’t Drink and Derive” has been cited in print since at least 1992. “Math and Alcohol don’t mix, so…PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DERIVE” has been cited since at least 1995. “Alcohol and calculus don’t mix—never drink and derive” has been cited since at least 1998.
Google Groups: rec.windsurfing
Sailing a short board upwind
Marc A. Lefebvre
2/18/92
(...)
“Don’t Drink and Derive”
Humor Text—University of Arizona
SCIENCE JOKES
ver 6.7 mar 1, 1995
Collected by Joachim Verhagen (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address))
(...)
Math and Alcohol don’t mix, so…
PLEASE DON’T DRINK AND DERIVE
16 July 1998, Charlotte (NC) Observer, “The Outfront Guy’s Diary,” pg. 4E:
Alcohol and calculus don’t mix. Never drink and derive.
24 March 1999, Augusta (GA) Chronicle, “Scientists use toys to show physics is fun” (Associated Press), pg. 7C, col. 5:
They’ve got lectures on the physics of American staples—baseball and beer—plus show tunes featuring physics-related lyrics and a gift shop hawking alien-shaped lollipops and T-shirts urging people not to drink and derive.
Google News Archive
19 August 2004, Bangor (ME) Daily News, “Bridge: Dirving home a point” by Frank Stewart, pg. D6, col. 5:
If you’re a mathematician, you know that alcohol and calculus don’t mix: Never drink and derive.
Urban Dictionary
Derive
verb
1. To find the point where it came from, to take the derivative
2. To torture (method used by Calculus teachers)
Don’t drink and derive.
by Dragix Nov 12, 2006
Google Books
Gaither’s Dictionary of Scientific Quotations
By Carl C. Gaither and Alma E. Cavazos-Gaither
New York, NY: Springer
2012
Pg. 324:
Alcohol and calculus don’t mix. Never drink and derive.
Source undetermined
Bobbi’s Blog
Alcohol and calculus don’t mix. Never drink and derive.
Posted on April 27, 2012 by bobbiblogger
(Poster art is shown—ed.)
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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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps. Stolen and missing, 2021-2024.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.
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