“No man goes before his time—unless the boss has left early” is a jocular line that has been cited in print since at least 1952. Citations in 1952 and 1953 did not show the name of a particular author.
American comedian and actor Groucho Marx (1890-1977) was credited with the line in 1954, but Marx was well-known in the 1950s and it’s unlikely that the earlier printed citations wouldn’t have credited him.
Google Books
Coronet
Volume 33, Issue 2
1952
Pg. 68:
Office Business
No MAN goes before his time—unless the boss has left early.—Answers
31 December 1952, Tripoli (IA) Leader, “Over the Fence” by Murph, pg. 8, col. 1:
No man goes before his time . . . unless the boss has left early.
17 June 1953, Denton (TX) Record-Chronicle, pg. 4, col. 1:
No man goes before his time, unless the boss leaves early.
11 July 1953, State-Times (Baton Rouge, LA), “Pull Up a Chair” by Neal O’Hara, pg. 4-A, col. 7:
Country editor speaking: “No man goes before his time—unless, of course, the boss leaves early.”
29 October 1954, Boston (MA) Traveler, “Kwik Klips,” pg. 24, col. 3:
“No man goes before his time—unless, of course, the boss leaves early.” (Groucho Marx in PAGEANT)
13 July 1955, Evening World-Herald (Omaha, NE), “The Town Trumpeter” bu Glenn Trump, pg. 13, col. 3:
A neatly-framed sign on the wall of an Omaha office:
“No man goes before his time—unless, of course, the boss leaves early.”
Google News Archive
11 July 1960, Beaver County (PA) Times, “Earl Wilson On Gay Broadway,” pg. 13, col. 5:
EARL’S PEARLS: No man goes before his time—unless, of course, the boss left early.
15 July 1963, The Oregonian (Portland, OR), “Today’s Chuckle,” pg. 1, col. 3:
No man goes before his time, unless the boss leaves early.
Google Books
Quote Unquote
By Lloyd Cory
Wheaton, IL: Victor Books
1977
Pg. 372:
No man goes before his time — unless the boss leaves early.
(GROUCHO MARX)
Google Books
20,000 Quips & Quotes
By Evan Esar
New York, NY: Barnes & Noble Books
1995, ©1968
Pg. 214:
No man goes before his time — unless the boss leaves early.
Twitter
DBABankers
@DBAbankers
Today’s DB Adage:
“No man goes before his time, unless the boss leaves early.” - Groucho Marx
5:51 AM - 8 Sep 2015
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.
Recent entries:
•“Civil engineering implies the existence of criminal engineering” (4/23)
•“Dungeness crab implies the existence of Dragoness crab” (4/23)
•Entry in progress—BP15 (4/23)
•Entry in progress—BP14 (4/23)
•Entry in progress—BP13 (4/23)
More new entries...
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.
This site is edited by Barry Popik. These are the Cookies and Privacy Policies.