AT THE END OF THE DAY is one of those stale expressions that really sticks in my craw. When it first started being used, I thought it was a fairly interesting phrase. But as the years rolled by, its overuse turned it into the irritating cliché that it is today. And I find it hard to believe that it is still so widely used by politicians, TVs talking heads, interviewees, etc. Don’t they realize when something has begun to stink like dead fish? And thank you for not saying it anymore. No problem, right!<2011 “Banks used charge consumers for services and banking only became cheaper when banks were able to make fat profits from reckless loans and ‘gambling in the capital markets.’ At the end of the day, ‘charging for basics services is a more respectable—and less dangerous—business model.’”—The Week, 14 October, page 44>
So, I thought it my duty as a Wordwizard to find out when and where, what I think most of us would agree is a phrase that should be deep-sixed, got its start.
But first, I seem to recall, from the deep recesses of my mind, a poem by Longfellow that used the expression before it went sour:
At the end of the day and before dawn’s light,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupations,
That is known as the Children's Hour.
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Err! Is that how it went?
Back to business:
BREWER’S DICTIONARY OF MODERN PHRASE & FABLE (2006) by Ayto & Crofton
AT THE END OF THE DAY: When all is said and done; when everything has been taken into account. A now hackneyed phrase that first became current in the 1970s. It was the title of the sixth volume (1973) of Harold Macmillan’s monumental memoirs (1966-75) . . . “At the end of the day, he stated, ‘this verifies what I have been saying against the cuts in public expenditure.’”—South Nottinghamshire Echo (England), 16 December, 1976. [[All considered would be a more concise and meaningful and concise choice.]]
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ALLEN’ DICTIONARY OF ENGLISH PHRASES (2006)by R. Allen
AT THE END OF THE DAY informal: When one considers everything: often uses as a cliché with little substantial meaning. <Policing is all about dealing with folk. At the end of the day we must concern ourselves with the practicalities and not the philosophies of dealing with everyday problems.>—An Inside Job by Malcolm Young, 1991.
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The oldest quote I could find was from 1950 – there may be older ones, but I got searched out. Brewer’s said that the expression “first became current in the 1970s.” Current, in this sense means ‘publicly known.’ And this to me means appearing in newspapers, magazines, and on TV and radio. As far as I can make out, this didn’t occur until the 1980s and 90s. Before that it mostly appeared in journals, which were not likely to have been read by the average Joe. So, I would say that Brewer’s was close, but no cigar.
Here are some choice quotes from archived sources:
[Note 1: At the end of the day, which it is, I’m tired. So, I’m quitting for now. But this posting is of such vital newsworthiness, that I want to get it out, hot off the presses, tonight. Since tomorrow is another day, I will give it another go, then, to see if I can push my quotes back a few more years. Perhaps, in addition to the phrase being current in the 1970s, as Brewer's said, maybe I will find that it was also current in the 1960's, which could provide so much current that the results might be electrifying. Who knows, maybe it actually did have currency in the 1960s – but I wouldn’t bet my bottom dollar on it.<1950 “At the end of the day it will be made plain that the theme of history is the righteousness of God, and that it is worthy the One who has called men to see of the travail of His soul and to be satisfied.”—The Listener (BBC, London), Vol. 43, page 741>
<1955 “At the end of the day, however we have to face the realities of the situation.”— House of Commons ( Parliamentary Debate) by Hansard, 5th Series–Vol. 8, page 2183>
<1961 “. . . while the whole of Luther’s writings cannot and ought not be translated, we shall not lack, at the end of the day, any real key tract, treatise, or exposition.”—The Journal of Religion, Vol. 41, No. 3, July, page 214>
<1963 “The apparently large profits earned by these producing companies have to be used by integrated groups to finance the so-called ‘downstream’ operations . . . and at the end of the day the net income earned by the groups concerned . . .”—International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), Vol. 39, No. 4, October, page 625>
<1965 “. . . France remains at the end of the day in unenviable semi-isolation . . .”—International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944-), Vol. 41, No. 1, January, page 17>
<1967 “At the end of the day the British army in Germany may be costing £50 millions a year . . .”—Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 2, No. 8, 25 February, page 438 >
<1969 “It may also be far from self-evident . . . that what emerges at the end of the day from a large-scale forecasting exercise . . . is necessarily a better basis for policy-making . . .”—The Economic Journal, Vol. 79, No. 316, December, page 799>
<1970 “At the end of the day, the conduct of the economy is evidently too difficult to be left to economists.”— International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs 1944- ), Vol. 46, No. 2, April, page 359>
<1975 “. . . nevertheless, such a plea demands still demands that at the end of the day negligence be established, . . .”—British Institute of International and Comparative Law, Vol.24, No. 3, July, page 570>
<1980 “”At the end of the day we may have achieved little more—the impact of the evaluation is not only elusive but also illusive.”—European Journal of Education, Vol. 15, No. 2, page 168>
<1990 “At the end of the day, Labor will have to have a platform of three or four simple points, no more, that they can run on.”—Washington Post (D.C.), 8 April>
<2000 “. . . but we're hopeful that at the end of the day you will have the kind of regional support that you need to move forth on major projects like this.”—Chicago Tribune,17 August>
<2007 “At the end of the day, it's not rocket science to think out of the box and stop using tired old phrases like 24/7, ‘blue sky thinking’ and ‘reality check.’ Going ballistic like me? Then at least we're basically singing from the same hymn sheet.”—The Independent on Sunday (London), 23 December> [[I love it!]]
<2011 “At the end of the day, if viewers are not happy with a program, they will tune it out, . . .”—Broadcast Engineering (Online Exclusive), 13 October>
Note 2: As promised, I did find earlier quotes and have amended the above list and added a new preamble.]
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Ken G – October 17, 2011 (updated on the 19th)
