# "My work here is done" Origin of phrase ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-work-here-is-done-origin-of-phrase/260848>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 21, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-work-here-is-done-origin-of-phrase/260848 "2004-08-21T14:30:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-work-here-is-done-origin-of-phrase/260848/21 "2016-09-26T16:47:33Z")

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> [@Firstintime](#):
>
> “My work here is done” occurs in The Prisoner of Zenda, a novel written by Anthony Hope and published in 1894. The hero says it after rescuing the kingdom of Ruritania from a political coup, as he prepares to leave and return to his life as an English gentleman. Not many people today have heard of this novel, but it was extremely popular and influential at the time it was written and at least through the first half of the 20th century. I’m guessing, but it seems likely that all the comic book and movie characters who use this phrase got it from the book.

As already mentioned in post #17.

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**Author:** ![Firstintime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/91b2a8/32.png) [@Firstintime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Firstintime)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-work-here-is-done-origin-of-phrase/260848/22 "2016-09-26T17:51:57Z")

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Sorry, I’m new to this board. Glad someone else provided this info.

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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-work-here-is-done-origin-of-phrase/260848/23 "2016-09-26T18:49:21Z")

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> [@Firstintime](#):
>
> Sorry, I’m new to this board. Glad someone else provided this info.

Maybe you’re Secondintime?

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-work-here-is-done-origin-of-phrase/260848/24 "2016-09-26T18:53:19Z")

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> [@Firstintime](#):
>
> Sorry, I’m new to this board. Glad someone else provided this info.

That’ o.k.-It happens all the time.  
Not to _me_, of course. 😃

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**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2016, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-work-here-is-done-origin-of-phrase/260848/25 "2016-09-27T02:18:25Z")

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> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> Maybe you’re Secondintime?

Worst username/post combo ever.

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