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"On the whole I'd rather be in Philadelphia"
March 22, 2008, 19:10
neveu"On the whole I'd rather be in Philadelphia"
The subject line of this discussion is W.C. Fields suggestion for his epitaph. Is there a word for an epitaph one selects or suggests for oneself?
Other self-selected epitaphs:
"Couldn't play shit, but he sure did make it sound good." -- Hound Dog Taylor
"Involved in a plot" -- some mystery writer whose name escapes me
"I told I was sick" -- some clever wag whose name escapes me, copied by others.
March 22, 2008, 19:54
KallehNot sure, neveu, but how fun to come up with an epitaph for oneself. Let me think about that...
March 22, 2008, 22:25
zmježdWilliam Claude Dukenfield's grave (
link).
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
March 23, 2008, 02:10
BobHalequote:
Comedian and entertainer Spike Milligan died on February 27th 2002, he was buried in the churchyard at Winchelsea, East Sussex in a grave that remained unmarked for around two years, there have been various reasons given for this which I will not repeat here.
Finally in late May 2004 a Celtic cross was erected bearing the now famous quote "I told you I was ill", in Gaelic (Irish).
"Duirt me leat go raibh me breoite".
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
March 23, 2008, 03:53
Richard EnglishI would like mine to be "Late - for the first and last time"
A comment on my predilection for punctuality.
Richard English
March 23, 2008, 05:56
BobHaleBuried in the next grave to my mother is an old chap who was well known locally for his love of the game of dominoes. Carved onto the headstone are a couple of dominoes. Unfortunately they show a five played against the double six which has prompted some to comment "Allus wus a chate when 'e wus alive."
(Always was a cheat when he was alive)
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
March 23, 2008, 05:56
BobHaleAs for my own I suspect that like the vast majority of people the appropriate epitaph would be "Who?"
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
March 23, 2008, 17:55
CaterwaullerI hope to have most of my parts, if not my whole self, given to research or donated parts somewhere. After, I hope to be cremated, and never really have a gravesite.
I hope that some will say of me, at my passing, "boy, she was fun to be around, and she really cared about people."
*******
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama
March 23, 2008, 18:38
shufitzI found this an interesting question. Unfortunately, when I checked out some interesting auto-epitaphs noted on the web, it turns out that they do
not appear on the tombstone. (e.g., Winston Churchill's stone does not bear the famous quote, "I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.")
But of those I can verify, the one I like best is what Benjamin Franklin wrote as a young man (though I gather that he did not ultimately use it):
. . . . . . . . . .The body of
. . . . . . . .B. Franklin, Printer
. . . . .(Like the Cover of an Old Book
. . . . . . . .Its Contents torn Out
. . .And Stript of its Lettering and Gilding)
. . . . . .Lies Here, Food for Worms.
. . .But the Work shall not be Lost;
For it will (as he Believ'd) Appear once More
. . . .In a New and More Elegant Edition
. . . . . . .Revised and Corrected
. . . . . . . . . .By the Author.
March 23, 2008, 19:17
zmježdA short history of Fields (
link) that includes a picture of him as a young juggler. At one point in the teens of the last century, he was one of the highest paid acts at Ziegfeld's Follies, something on the order of US$15,000 per week.
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
March 23, 2008, 21:40
tsuwmFields: professional drowner in Atlantic City
wha?
March 23, 2008, 22:22
zmježdquote:
Several times a day, Fields would swim out to sea, pretend to be drowning, and then be "rescued" by one of his accomplices, the lifeguard. Invariably, a large crowd would gather on the beach as the no longer struggling actor was "resuscitated." Once it was clear that this poor fellow was going to live, the suddenly relieved crowd would turn to Field's third accomplice, the hot dog vendor, (who just happened to be standing nearby) and treat themselves to an "I'm-so-glad-he's-alive" snack. At the end of each water-logged day, Fields would split the take with his buddies -- the lifeguard and the hot dog vendor (
link).
—Ceci n'est pas un seing.
March 24, 2008, 04:56
BobHaleAnd then, of course, there's this...
http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/headstone.asp
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
March 24, 2008, 20:32
KallehHilarious, Bob.
March 24, 2008, 23:51
tinmanI don't know if anybody else notices, but this was at the bottom of the page zmježd linked to:
quote:
My 13 year old son just exploded an old myth for me about WC Fields. He explained that the famous "I'd rather be in Philadelphia" quote, often said to be inscribed on Fields' gravestone, is not true. Sorry to disappoint you, folks, but it's a myth.
March 25, 2008, 03:50
BobHaleIt's a myth that it's on his gravestone but is it a myth that he said it?
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
March 25, 2008, 06:52
neveuquote:
It's a myth that it's on his gravestone but is it a myth that he said it?
No.
March 26, 2008, 19:37
wordmaticquote:
Originally posted by shufitz:
I found this an interesting question. Unfortunately, when I checked out some interesting auto-epitaphs noted on the web, it turns out that they do not appear on the tombstone. (e.g., Winston Churchill's stone does not bear the famous quote, "I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter.")
Ben Franklin is buried in a churchyard in Philadelphia, and I have seen his gravestone but can't remember what it says.
But found it
here.
Wordmatic
March 28, 2008, 20:12
KallehOh, that's great, WM. That history is exactly why I love Philadelphia.
April 05, 2008, 11:09
CaterwaullerWhile I was at PLA (conference of Public Library Association)I picked up a free copy of
Not Quite What I Was Planning, a collection of memoirs written with just 6 words, started by
SMITH Magazine.
It has been really interesting to read. Submissions include famous people, people you've never heard of, and people who fall somewhere in between.
One of my favorites so far is by Gotham Chopra:
"Soul'd out so I could prophet."
What would you write for a 6-word memoir?
*******
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama