"Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy…

“Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician” is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. Since at least 2009, many images have credited American writer and satirist Dorothy Parker (1893-1967), but there is no evidence that she ever said it.

“WISH I’D SAID THAT: ‘Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.’—Ima Washout” was printed in the syndicated “It Happened Last Night” column by Earl Wilson in many newspapers on December 19, 1957. “Ima Washout” was Bertha B. Shore, a writer for the Augusta (KS) Gazette.

Newspapers.com
19 December 1957, The Call (Paterson, NJ), “It Happened Last Night” by Earl Wilson, pg. 41, col. 8:
WISH I’D SAID THAT: “Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.”—Ima Washout.

Newspapers.com
18 January 1973,The Times-Republican (Corydon, IA), pg. 6, col. 6:
Time may be a great healer, but it is a lousy beautician.

Google Books
A Prairie Home Companion
Pretty Good Joke Book
By Brian Becker
Minneapolis, MN: HighBridge
2003
Pg. 15:
Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician

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Bill Tanner
@tanner
Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.
10:15 AM · Dec 12, 2007·Twitter Web Client

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Braindoc
@kidbraindoc
Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician. -author unknown
10:33 AM · Apr 29, 2009·Twitter Web Client

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The Quotemaster
@thequotemaster
“Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.” Dorothy Parker - http://bit.ly/S8q4a #quotes
5:07 AM · Aug 23, 2009·Twitter Web Client

Facebook
Jonathan Carroll
November 19, 2020 at 1:52 AM ·
Time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.
Dorothy Parker

Twitter
Tyson Barker
@tysonbarker
Replying to @HannahThoburn
There is no “pushing” when it comes to 35. There should only be thriving & breaking rules (within reason). To quote Dorothy Parker, “time may be a great healer, but it’s a lousy beautician.” Get to 50 when you’re 75 😉
2:28 PM · Dec 17, 2020·Twitter Web App