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 March 29, 2009
“Champagne to our real friends, and real pain to our sham friends”

“Champagne” was spelled “sham pain” by the 1700s. By at least 1809, a popular toast in America was: “Champagne to our real friends, and real pain to our sham friends.” An 1813 version added more “pain”: “And Tom Paine to the devil.”
 
   
Google Books
The Royal Toast Master:
Containing Many Thousands of the Best Toasts Old and New, to Give Brilliancy to Mirth and Make the Joys of the Glass Supremely Agreeable

London, UK: J. Roach
1793
Pg. 26:
Laurel water to the secret enemies of our glorious constitution.
Beauty without affectation, and merit without conceit.
Church and King.
Champaign to our real friends, and real pain to our sham ones.
 
27 February 1794, The Maryland Gazette (Annapolis, MD), pg. 2, col. 3:
The following were the toasts drank on the occasion (at Mr. Golder’s tavern in Annapolis—ed.):
(...)
14. Pain to our Sham friends, and Champaigne to our Real ones.
 
7 March 1794, Gazette of the United States and Evening Advertiser (Philadelphia, PA), “Philadelphia, March 7,” pg. 3, col. 2:
Pain to our Sham friends, and Champaigne to our Real ones.
 
6 July 1809, Chillicothe (OH) Supporter, “To the Editor of the Supporter,” pg. 2, col. 3:
(A list of toasts appropriate to the 4th of July—ed.)
“Champaine to our real friends, and real pain to our sham friends.”
 
10 November 1813, The Tickler (Philadelphia, PA), pg. 3:
A TOAST.
Real pain to sham friends,
Cham-paign to real friends,
And Tom Paine to the devil.
 
14 August 1820, New York (NY) Commercial Advertiser, pg. 2:
Champaign to our real friends, and real pain to our sham friends.”
   
Google Books
Proccedings of the State Rights Celebration, at Charleston, S. C.
July 1st, 1830

Charleston, SC: A. E. Miller
1830
Pg. 50:
By Mr. Thomas Duggan : Champagne to our real friends and real pain to our sham friends
 
9 July 1834, Hagers-Town (MD) Free Press, pg. 2, col. 6:
Champaigne to our real friends, and real pain to our sham friends.
   
Google Books
The Reciter’s Companion; comprising the most popular recitations, comic tales [&c.]
By Reciter
Published 1848
Pg. 251:
Champagne to our real friends ; and real pain to our sham friends.
   
Google Books
The Autobiography of John B. Gough
By John Bartholomew Gough
London: William Tweedie
1855
Pg. 187:
Young men drink champagne sometimes — sham pain at night and real pain the next morning. Why, there is more champagne bought and sold in the city of New York than there is of the real wine manufactured in the whole world.
 
Google Books
The Perfect Gentleman;
Or, Etiquette and Eloquence

By a Gentleman
New York, NY: Dick & Fitzgerald
1860
Pg. 143 (Drinking Toasts):
Champagne for our real friends, and real pain for our sham friends.
     
Google Books
The Egyptian Sketch Book
By Charles G. Leland
New York, NY: Hurd and Houghton
1874
Pg. 8:
There was a Coplet in Cairo who pondered for a week exclusively over the ancient remark, “Champagne to our real friends, and sham-pain, etc.”
 
February 1876, Potter’s American Monthly, pg. 88, col. 2:
At a supper that was given on their return to Kentucky, just after the battle (Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, quoting John Norris, the last remaining survivior—ed.), the phrase, “Here’s champagne to our real friends and real pain to our sham friends,” was then for the first time made use of.
   
15 May 1905, New York (NY) Times, pg. 6, col. 2:
On moving away one of five small brass tablets that hung on this wall and on which were engraved little bon mots such as “Real pain for our sham friends and champagne for our real friends.”
 
Ask MetaFilter
“Champagne for my real friends. Real pain for my sham friends”
March 26, 2009 6:28 AM
“Champagne for my real friends. Real pain for my sham friends” What is the origin of this quote?
posted by FuckingAwesome to society & culture (11 comments total)

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityFood/Drink • Sunday, March 29, 2009 • Permalink


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