“If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end it would be the Labor Day weekend”
“If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end it would probably be the Labor Day weekend” is a jocular traffic saying that has been printed on many images. American newspaper columnist Doug Larson (1926-2017) wrote this in his column in the Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette on January 31, 1982.
The saying has existed earlier to describe the end of the weekend traffic. “If all the autos in the United States were placed end to end it would be Sunday afternoon” was printed in the Freeport (IL) Journal-Standard on August 10, 1926.
“If all the automobiles in the United States were placed end to end it would be either Labor Day or the Fourth of July” was written by Doug Larson in the Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette on October 24, 1964. “If all the automobiles in the United States were placed end to end it would be either Labor Day or the Fourth of July” was written by Larson in the Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette on May 10, 1980. Larson’s 1982 version of the quotation mentioning just Labor Day has been the popular form of the saying.
Wikipedia: Doug Larson
Doug Larson (February 10, 1926 to April 1, 2017) was a columnist and editor for the Door County Advocate (1953–1964) and wrote a daily column, “Doug’s Dugout,” for the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1964–1988), both Wisconsin-based newspapers. The column was originally syndicated through United Media under the title “Senator Soaper Says”; Larson took over authorship in 1980. Previously, it had been written by Bill Vaughn of the Kansas City Star. Larson was born in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
10 August 1926, Freeport (IL) Journal-Standard, “Barbs,” pg. 10, col. 3:
If all the autos in the United States were placed end to end it would be Sunday afternoon.
11 August 1926, Bradenton (FL) Herald, pg. 4, col. 1:
If all the autos in the United States were placed end to end it would be Sunday afternoon.
16 January 1929, Carbondale (IL) Daily Free Press, pg. 4, col. 4:
If all the motor cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would be Sunday afternoon.—Arkansas Gazette.
23 April 1951, Muscatine (IA) Journal, “Ramblin’ Around” by Ron Arnold, pg. 8, col. 1:
If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end—it would be Sunday afternoon.
Google Books
Typo Graphic
1952
Pg. 18:
If all the automobiles in the United States were placed end to end, it would be Sunday afternoon.
2 September 1960, Austin (TX) Statesman, pg. 17, col. 7:
Today’s thought: If all the automobiles in the United State were placed end-to-end—it would be Sunday afternoon.
24 October 1964, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, “Doug’s Dugout” by Doug Larson, Sunday Magazine sec., pg. 22, col. 2:
If all the automobiles in the United States were placed end to end it would be either Labor Day or the Fourth of July.
2 September 1969, The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ), “Some didn’t go jousting on highways by Daniel Ben-Horin, pg. 17, col. 1:
“What do you get if you take all the cars in the United States and put them end to end?” asks the riddle.
The answer: “Labor Day.”
10 May 1980, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Doug Larson column, pg. A-11, col. 7:
If all the automobiles in the United States were placed end to end it would be either Labor Day or the Fourth of July.
31 January 1982, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, Doug Larson column, pg. B-3, col. 1:
If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end it would probably be the Labor Day weekend.
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If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend. by Doug Larson
2:40 AM - 28 Mar 2008
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If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend. – Doug Larson, columnist and editor
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7. “If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.” — Doug Larson
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Twitter
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@_aimanch
If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.
Doug Larson
#TreatMeAsHuman
1:24 PM - 30 Apr 2019
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“If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend” Doug Larson.