# All work and no play makes Homer something something

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 26, 2001, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716 "2001-10-26T04:01:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@jabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabe)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716/1 "2001-10-26T04:01:50Z")

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Does anyone know where the phrase ‘all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ comes from? It became famous after ‘The Shining’ in 1980, but last night I was re-reading ‘Big Sur’ by Jack Kerouac and it appears in there as well.

So, is it something Kerouac made up, or was it pre existing? Thank you,

peace,  
JB

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**Author:** ![Firx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Firx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Firx)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716/2 "2001-10-26T04:12:44Z")

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Wasn’t it “No TV and no beer makes Homer something something”?

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**Author:** ![jabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/db5fbb/32.png) [@jabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabe)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716/3 "2001-10-26T04:22:47Z")

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Now that you mention it…it probably was. And here I was thinking I was all clever. Damn my memory!!!

peace,  
JB

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**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716/4 "2001-10-26T04:27:29Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Firx \*  
> \*\*“No TV and no beer makes Homer something something”? \*\*

Go crazy?

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**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716/5 "2001-10-26T04:30:50Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by BlackKnight \*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Firx \*  
> > “No TV and no beer makes Homer something something”?
> 
> Go crazy?

Don’t mind if I do!

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**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716/6 "2001-10-26T04:33:54Z")

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[This site](http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/7608/sayA.htm) attributes it to Charles Dickens.

> [@](#):
>
> ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY—Dickens (1853) Letters “All work and no play may make Peter a dull boy as well as Jack.”

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**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-work-and-no-play-makes-homer-something-something/89716/7 "2001-10-26T05:07:34Z")

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Uh, it was famous before the Shining, which was why the Shining used it in the first place. The following site says it’s a “17th century proverb”:

[http://www.creativelivingmagazine.com/96sp/](http://www.creativelivingmagazine.com/96sp/)