# Who was the first to make an ass out of u and me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 30, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244 "2008-07-30T16:25:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/1 "2008-07-30T16:25:27Z")
I remember the first time I heard that joke. It was The Odd Couple and Felix got a traffic ticket. Instead of paying it, he took it to court and had a whole presentation ready. At one point in his cross-examination, the witness said, “Well, I just assumed. . .” Felix wrote the word on his chalkboard and then graphically pointed out how assuming makes an ass out of you and me. But this joke feels older to me. Are there any earlier tellings of this joke or did it originate with The Odd Couple? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/2 "2008-07-30T16:59:04Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] Are there any earlier tellings of this joke…? [/QUOTE] I assume so. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/3 "2008-07-30T17:19:29Z")
I’ve heard it attributed to Benny Hill, but I don’t know whether he originated it. I suspect the very first person to make the observation may be lost in the mists of anonymity. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/4 "2008-07-30T17:48:34Z")
[Rant] I hate this expression with a passion. While the likely original usage only applied to uneducated assumptions, people now LOVE to use it any time the word assumption is used. Darn it. There are times when it is appropriate or even necessary to make assumptions. [/rant] ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/5 "2008-07-30T17:50:40Z")
I remember when it appeared on _The Odd Couple_, and it got such an uproarious and extended laugh that I – pardon me – I _assumed_ that most people had not heard it before. If it was a recycled joke, I feel pretty certain it was an obscure one. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/6 "2008-07-30T18:12:06Z")
[QUOTE=middleman] Darn it. There are times when it is appropriate or even necessary to make assumptions. [/QUOTE] But you know what happens when you make an assumption, right? You’re an ass, and the ump will shun you. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/7 "2008-07-30T18:14:57Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] I’ve heard it attributed to Benny Hill, but I don’t know whether he originated it. I suspect the very first person to make the observation may be lost in the mists of anonymity. [/QUOTE] I’m looking for TV shows or movies or maybe radio shows or even a Broadway show where this joke appears before it appeared on the Odd Couple cite. The Benny Hill Show is a possibility since it began it’s run a year before The Odd Couple did, but I don’t think so. I would have remembered it from there-- I assume. P.S. The Benny Hill Show- 1969 through 1989 The Odd Couple 1970 through 1975 ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/8 "2008-07-30T18:19:55Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] But this joke feels older to me. [/QUOTE] So you’re just \*assuming \*that the joke is older? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/9 "2008-07-30T18:24:47Z")
[QUOTE=HoboStew] But you know what happens when you make an assumption, right? You’re an ass, and the ump will shun you. [/QUOTE] You turn into Lou Piniella?\* :eek: - Sorry, Cubbies fans. 😃 I only mentioned Lou because of his current visibility in a [bottled-water commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uzULboIx3o) . This is no reflection of my feelings about Lou Piniella, the man, the baseball player, and the manager. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/10 "2008-07-30T18:29:30Z")
I believe David Letterman’s writers were the first to change the ending to, “…you make an ass out of Uma Thurman.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/11 "2008-07-30T19:01:09Z")
Hey! The first time I saw that was on The Odd Couple also. It was funny as hell then. Not so much now. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/12 "2008-07-30T19:03:08Z")
[QUOTE=Biggirl] Felix wrote the word on his chalkboard and then graphically pointed out how assuming makes an ass out of you and me. But this joke feels older to me. Are there any earlier tellings of this joke or did it originate with The Odd Couple? [/QUOTE] This is very odd, I just asked someone about this on Saturday and I thought about starting a thread on it. The older people I put the question to, did not remember the joke predating the Odd Couple. I hope you get an answer. I am very curious about it also. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/13 "2008-07-30T19:18:07Z")
Another vote for “never heard it before The Odd Couple.” ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/14 "2008-07-30T19:29:14Z")
“When you assume…you’re a jackass.”- Stephen Colbert ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/15 "2008-07-30T19:33:42Z")
I first encountered it in this crappy 1971 film, [Bless the Beasts and Children](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068286/). ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/16 "2008-07-30T19:35:02Z")
[QUOTE=middleman] [Rant] I hate this expression with a passion. While the likely original usage only applied to uneducated assumptions, people now LOVE to use it any time the word assumption is used. Darn it. There are times when it is appropriate or even necessary to make assumptions. [/rant] [/QUOTE] I’m with you; so much so that, when an educated and reasonable assumption is called for, I use the word “deduce.” ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/17 "2008-07-30T20:19:28Z")
Another datum point for “heard it first on the Odd Couple”. I have to say, it _was_ funny the first time. But only the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/18 "2008-07-30T20:20:38Z")
[QUOTE=middleman] Darn it. There are times when it is appropriate or even necessary to make assumptions. [/QUOTE] Such as when one uses depth perception. For some reason people who just spit out that line don’t care to have someone point out just how stupid it is. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/19 "2008-07-30T20:35:32Z")
[QUOTE=Sigmagirl] I’m with you; so much so that, when an educated and reasonable assumption is called for, I use the word “deduce.” [/QUOTE] But when you deduce, you are DED, U CE! ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244/20 "2008-07-30T20:39:42Z")
I can’t decide which would be weirder, Benny Hill stealing from _The Odd Couple_, or _The Odd Couple_ stealing from Benny Hill. I’ve seen this bit on both shows, but don’t know which one was first. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-first-to-make-an-ass-out-of-u-and-me/458244.md?page=2)