# Origin - The Gift that Keeps on Giving

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/73549>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 23, 2001, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/73549 "2001-07-23T16:54:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/73549/1 "2001-07-23T16:54:01Z")

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I’ve heard this slogan applied to everything from food to herpes, but I can’t remember for sure where it originated. I seem to remember a record store using it as a slogan back in the 1970s or early 80s. Anybody have a clear recollection?

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**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/73549/2 "2001-07-23T18:43:03Z")

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Until someone with a clear recollection comes along. . .

I seem to recall Kodak using that expression (possibly when Poloroid first came out) back when I was but a mere scalar.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2001, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/73549/3 "2001-07-23T22:48:02Z")

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Thanks, **DrMatrix**! There’s nothing **greater than** math humor. 🙂

Well, I’m back at work now, so I decided to treat this like a reference question and actually do a little research on it myself. In doing so, I found [this site](http://www.rt66.com/dthomas/70s/lost+found/lost+found.html), which says that the phrase in question was used as part of a _Sports Illustrated_ ad campaign, presumably to sell subscriptions.

Some of the stuff on that page though looks lightly researched, so I’m not giving this data point any undue credibility. I’d still love to get more input from the Teeming Millions if there’s anybody out there who’d like to chime in.

TIA