"I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who…

“I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are” is a jocular line about vegetarians that has been printed on many images. The line was posted on the newsgroup alt.quotations on February 2, 1999. “Sorry, I don’t know who first uttered this classic,” the poster wrote, and this was responded with, “I don’t know, but it sounds like something Groucho Marx would have said.”

New York-born actor and comedian Groucho Marx is unlikely to have said it because the quotation has not been cited in print during his lifetime.

Google Groups: alt.quotations
vegetarian quotes??
Larry Collins
2/2/99
(..)
> “I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are.”
>
>Sorry, I don’t know who first uttered this classic.

I don’t know, but it sounds like something Groucho Marx would have said.

Google Groups: alt.quotations
No More Animals, Everything Human
Elan Pavlov
6/15/02
(...)
“I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are.”
- Groucho Marx

8 June 2006, Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette, “Yes, pierced eyeglasses…,” pg. A2:
Marxist thought
(...)
“I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are.”

20 May 2008, Spokesman Review (Spokane, WA), “Prove your love of meat, and win a meal with Doug” by Doug Clark, pg. B1:
CLARK: In the immortal words of Groucho Marx: “I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are.”

Google Books
5,000 Great One Liners
Compiled by Grant Tucker
London, UK: Biteback Publishing Ltd
2012
Pg. ?:
I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are.

Twitter
Groucho Marx‏
@GrouchoQuotes
I’m not a vegetarian, but I eat animals who are. #quotes #humor #grouchomarx
10:25 PM - 6 Dec 2012

Twitter
Funny One Liners‏
@funnyone_liner
I’m not a vegetarian but I eat animals who are.
4:43 PM - 11 Apr 2017