# Watch that first step! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 16, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602 "2006-11-16T00:08:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruby\_Weapon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ruby\_Weapon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Weapon)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/1 "2006-11-16T00:08:41Z")
I often hear people saying “Watch that first step, it’s a doozy” or “it’s a killer”. Is this a quote from a movie or a TV show? Where did it come from? ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/2 "2006-11-16T00:23:14Z")
One movie that I know of that could be the source is “Groundhog Day”. It is said to Bill Murray’s character AFTER he’s stepped off a curb into a pothole full of icy cold water. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/3 "2006-11-16T00:45:35Z")
I always associate it with Warner Bros cartoons. I also seem to remember it as “watch that _last_ step.” ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/4 "2006-11-16T01:13:47Z")
**Doozy** at [wordorigins](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordord.htm) > [@](#): > > The noun form dates to 1916, but the adjective dates to at least 1903. It may be an alteration of “daisy” or it may be from the name of Italian actress Eleonora Duse (1859-1924)–or perhaps it could be a little of both. The word predates the 1920s-era Model J Duesenberg, the phrase may or may not. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/5 "2006-11-16T02:39:40Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] **Doozy** at [wordorigins](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordord.htm) The word predates the 1920s-era Model J Duesenberg, the phrase may or may not. [/QUOTE] I think we’re trying to find the phrase “watch out for that xxxxx step” rather than the “doozy.” I can find both “last” step and “first” step used in newspaper stories from the 1930’s. So, can’t say which it was, and where it came from. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/6 "2006-11-16T03:32:47Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] I think we’re trying to find the phrase “watch out for that xxxxx step” rather than the “doozy.” [/QUOTE] Sure. I thought the Duesenberg might be a way into the history of the phrase. Unfortunately the vehicle crashed and burned. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/7 "2006-11-16T05:04:27Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] I can find both “last” step and “first” step used in newspaper stories from the 1930’s. So, can’t say which it was, and where it came from. [/QUOTE] Late 30s or early 30s? Given it’s frequent use in Bugs Bunny cartoons, my money would be on a running gag from some popular radio show; something like Fibber McGee’s closet. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/8 "2006-11-16T05:33:31Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] Late 30s or early 30s? Given it’s frequent use in Bugs Bunny cartoons, my money would be on a running gag from some popular radio show; something like Fibber McGee’s closet. [/QUOTE] Late 30’s. Funny you should bring up radio/Fibber McGee. That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I first read the OP. Maybe we’re on to something. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/9 "2006-11-16T15:19:26Z")
[QUOTE=cormac262] One movie that I know of that could be the source is “Groundhog Day”. It is said to Bill Murray’s character AFTER he’s stepped off a curb into a pothole full of icy cold water. [/QUOTE] [\<\\> Exact quote and all. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/10 "2006-11-16T16:06:54Z")
It’s before GHD. I heard it on early WB cartoons, where a character would go walking down a flight of stairs, but the last one would lead off into a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong fall. Or the first step. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/11 "2006-11-16T16:11:27Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Late 30’s. Funny you should bring up radio/Fibber McGee. That was the first thing that crossed my mind when I first read the OP. Maybe we’re on to something. [/QUOTE] I checked a couple of Fibber McGee sites (the show started in 1935) , and couldn’t find it mentioned as a running gag. It might have been from some other program. [QUOTE=gigi] \<\\> Exact quote and all. [/QUOTE] Not surprising, since as **samclem** says the phrase had already been around for more than 50 years. I recollect it being used by Bugs Bunny; while I can’t give a cite, I have the impression it was used in cartoons dating from at least WWII (the one with the gremlin?) ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2006, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watch-that-first-step/380602/12 "2006-11-16T16:13:51Z")
Yeah, Warner Bros is how this became a meme, though doubtless is was already an old joke when they started using it. Here’s a [wav file](http://www.earthstation1.com/pgs/wbcartoons/des-1ststep.wav.html) (posted here, by whom I don’t recall, on a previous occasion this question came up) of Good Ol’ Bugs delivering the line.