Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Pre-internet memes: "I am sorry for writing a long letter"

Who said “I am sorry for writing such a long letter. I did not have time for a short one”?


I’ve read it attributed to Mark Twain, Samuel Pepys, Oscar Wilde and now, Goethe. Did they all say it? If so, who said it first? And when did it become a pre-Internet meme?

I agree with the idea, but it has become a cliché, all the more annoying for the fact that it is so misattributed.

I would love to hear who actually said this. Let me know if you know.

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