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Shaw, Henry Wheeler
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Josh Billings | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 21, 1818 |
| Died | October 14, 1885 (aged 67) |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Spouse | Zipha E. (Bradford) Shaw ( – November 12, 1901)[1] (m. 1845)[2] |
| Children | Grace Anna Shaw Duff ( – 1923),[3] Kate Alice Shaw Santana[4][5] |
| Parent(s) | Henry Shaw (1788–1857), Laura Wheeler Shaw ( – 1883)[6][7] |
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"It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenient one, too." (08/07/2024)
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Josh Billings (born April 21, 1818, Lanesboro, Mass., U.S.—died Oct. 14, 1885, Monterey, Calif.) was an American humorist whose philosophical comments in plain language were widely popular after the American Civil War through his newspaper pieces, books, and comic lectures. He employed the misspellings, fractured grammar, and hopeless logic then current among comic writers who assumed the role of cracker-barrel philosophers. His special contributions were his rustic aphorisms (“The biggest phool in this world haint bin born yet; thare iz plenty ov time yet”) and his droll delineations of animal life.
Expelled from Hamilton College, Clinton, N.Y., in his second year for removing the clapper from the chapel bell, he drifted about for some years in the West and Midwest before settling in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1858 as an auctioneer and land dealer. He began writing when he was 45, but he became successful only when he adopted the misspelling vogue. His “Essa on the Muel” made him suddenly famous, and after joining the New York Weekly in 1867 he became a national idol. Some of his best work is in a 10-year series of Josh Billings’ Farmer’s Allminax he started in 1869 as a burlesque of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. His other books were hasty collections of his newspaper writings, the most comprehensive being Everybody’s Friend (1874).
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Henry Wheeler Shaw (April 21, 1818 – October 14, 1885), better known by the pen name Josh Billings, was a 19th-century American humorist and lecturer.
Biography
Shaw was born in Lanesborough, Massachusetts on April 21, 1818. His father was Henry Shaw, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1817 to 1821,[8][9] and his grandfather Samuel Shaw who also served in the U.S. Congress from 1808 to 1813. His uncle was John Savage, yet another Congressman.
Shaw attended Hamilton College, but was expelled in his second year for removing the clapper of the campus bell.[2][10] He married Zilpha E. Bradford in 1845.[2]
Shaw worked as a farmer, coal miner, explorer, and auctioneer before he began making a living as a journalist and writer in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1858. Under the pseudonym "Josh Billings" he wrote in an informal voice full of the slang of the day, with often eccentric phonetic spelling, dispensing wit and folksy common-sense wisdom. His books include Farmers' Allminax, Josh Billings' Sayings, Everybody's Friend, Choice Bits of American Wit and Josh Billings' Trump Kards. He toured, giving lectures of his writings, which were very popular with the audiences of the day.[11] He was also reputed to be the eponymous author of the "Uncle Ezek's Wisdom" column in the Century Magazine.
Billings died in Monterey, California, on October 14, 1885.[12] Billings' death is described in Chapter 12 of John Steinbeck's fictional Cannery Row. According to Steinbeck's homage, Billings (Shaw's pen-name) died in the Hotel del Monte in Monterey after which his body was delivered for burial preparation by the local constable to the town's only doctor, who also doubled as an amateur mortician. The doctor, per his usual embalming protocol, dispensed of Billings' entrails by tossing them into the gulch behind his house before packing the torso with sawdust. The stomach, liver and intestines were found in the gulch the following morning by a dog whose master, a small boy, intended on using them for fish bait. Some local men, realizing the disgrace this could bring to Monterey—a town proud of its literary heritage—were able to stop the boy as he was preparing to row out to sea, retrieved the tripas and forced the doctor to give Billings' organs a proper burial befitting a great author.
Billings' daughter Grace Shaw Duff donated money for the building of Wilhenford Hospital in Augusta, Georgia, which opened in 1910. The name combined a syllable of her father's' name (Hen) with her husband's and son's.[13]
Legacy and attributed quotations
His saying, "In the whole history of the world there is but one thing that money can not buy... to wit the wag of a dog's tail" appears at the beginning of the Disney film Lady and the Tramp.[14]
The phrase, "Love is like measles... the later in life it occurs, the tougher it gets," was quoted as being Josh Billings' in Jan Karon's book, A Light in the Window.[15]
While the Squeaky Wheel aphorism was used in different forms before Billings, his poem, "The Kicker" brought the idiom into common usage of American language. The term "kicker" at the time in the 1800s was another term for a complainer. The poem is:
"Consider the postage stamp, son. It secures success through its ability to stick to one thing till it gets there."[citation needed]
"Solitude is a good place to visit, but a poor place to stay."[citation needed]
"I honestly believe it iz better tew know nothing than tew know what ain't so."[16] Another variation: "It is better to know less than to know so much that ain't so."[17]
"The old miser who has accumulated his millions, and sits down on them afterwards, reminds me of a fly that has fallen into a barrel of molasses".[18]
"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant. If we did not sometimes taste adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."[19]
The term "joshing" or "josh" can be used as a verb meaning to "make fun of" or "to engage in light-hearted teasing". Author Candace Osmond believes the term to been derived based on the name of humorist Josh Billings and his writings.[20]
The Hong Kong movie Revenge: A Love Story ends with his quote "There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness."[citation needed]
References
- (November 13, 1901). Obituary Notes, The New York Times, Retrieved December 1, 2010
- Adams, Arthur G., ed. The Hudson River in literature: an anthology, p. 303 (1980) (ISBN 0-87395-407-6)
- (June 6, 1923). Obituary, The New York Times, Retrieved December 1, 2010
- (November 7, 1885). Josh Billing's Will, The New York Times, Retrieved December 1, 2010
- Mark Twain's letters: 1869, Volume 3, p.410 (1992)(details of Billings' children)
- Smith, Francis Shubael. Life and adventures of Josh Billings (1883)
- Palmer, Charles J. History of Town of Lanesborough, p.164 (1905)
- Biographical Introduction to The complete works of Josh Billings (Henry W. Shaw), p. xiv (1876)
- Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol. 24, p. 813 (11th ed. 1911)
- (May 4, 1956). Early Adventures of 'Josh Billings', Buckingham Post, Retrieved December 1, 2010
- Birdsall, William Wilfred; Jones, Rufus Matthew (January 1, 1897). Famous Authors and the Best Literature of England and America ...: Together with Choice Selections from Their Writings ... American Book & Bible House.
- Hamilton literary magazine, Volume 20, p. 108 (November 1885)
- Lee, Joseph M. (1997). Augusta: A Postcard History. Arcadia. ISBN 9780752409429.
- Lady and the Tramp, Disney, 1955.
- A Light in the Window, by Jan Karon, ISBN 0-14-025454-4, pg 154.
- (29 May 1869). "Humors of the Day", Harper's Weekly, p. 343, col. 3
- Keyes, Ralph. The Quote Verifier. Macmillan, 2006. iBooks.
- Sam Jones Revival Sermons. Fleming H. Revell Company. 1912. pp. 88–89.
- everydayshayari.com, everydayshayari (January 24, 2024). "Motivational Quotes For Your Everyday Motivation". everydayshayari.com. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- Osmond, Candace. "Joshing – Origin and Meaning". Grammarist. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
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Josh Billings was a 19th-century American humorist known for his witty, insightful, and often humorous observations on life, human nature, and common sense.
Selected Quotes by Josh Billings
- "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself." – highlighting loyalty and unconditional love .
- "Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there." – advice on perseverance and focus .
- "Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well." – a metaphor for making the best of circumstances .
- "The best time for you to hold your tongue is the time you feel you must say something or bust." – wisdom on restraint and communication .
- "Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough." – a humorous take on decision-making .
- "There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness." – on the power of letting go .
- "Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope." – a witty observation on perspective in emotions .
- "As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand." – commentary on honesty and human nature .
- "Success does not consist in never making blunders, but in never making the same one a second time." – practical advice on learning from mistakes .
- "Flattery is like cologne water, to be smelt of, not swallowed." – a humorous warning about insincere praise .
Themes in Billings’ Quotes
Josh Billings’ sayings often combine humor, common sense, and moral insight. Many of his quotes focus on:
- Human behavior and folly – pointing out contradictions and absurdities in everyday life.
- Practical wisdom – offering guidance on perseverance, honesty, and decision-making.
- Humor and wit – using clever phrasing and exaggeration to entertain while instructing.
- Life and relationships – reflections on love, friendship, and social interactions.
These quotes remain popular for their timeless humor and practical advice, making them relevant for both personal reflection and sharing in social or professional contexts .
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