“Everybody/Everyone wants to shine, but no one wants to polish” means that everyone wants the rewards, but no one wants to put in the hard work. “Everyone wants to shine, but no one wants to polish…know what I’m saying?” was cited in print in 2000, and “Everybody wants to shine, but nobody wants to polish!” was cited in 2008.
“No one wants to polish but everyone loves to shine” was cited on Twitter on May 5, 2011. “Noticing how everybody wants to shine but nobody wants to polish” was cited on Twitter on February 2, 2012. “Everybody wants to shine. But Nobody wants to polish” was cited on Twitter on March 31, 2012.
Google Groups: deja.comm.hip_hop_pros
Promoting Shows
Tre Boogie
1/20/00
(...)
Everyone wants to shine, but no one wants to polish…know what I’m saying?
Rum Soaked Fist
Re: old timers in the park
Post by GrahamB on Mon Sep 22, 2008 9:21 am
That’s the problem with IMA. Everybody wants to talk about it all the time ;D
Everybody wants to shine, but nobody wants to polish!
Twitter
Nciole Christy
@nciolechristy
No one wants to polish but everyone loves to shine.
2:01 PM - 5 May 2011
Twitter
Jocelyn
@ukladykat42
Noticing how everybody wants to shine but nobody wants to polish. You shouldn’t expect to get “shine” off the backs & hard work of others.
9:13 AM - 2 Feb 2012
Twitter
IG: SeunFeyisitan
@iamFYST
Everybody wants to shine. But Nobody wants to polish.
5:06 PM - 31 Mar 2012
Twitter
Adam
@rabbiadam7
Everyone wants to shine but nobody wants to polish - Great philosopher Cairo
1:41 AM - 2 Aug 2012
Facebook
Brian Nieh: Official Model Fan Page
January 30, 2014 ·
“Everyone wants to shine but no one wants to polish….”
Funny Status
Epic Slam Dunk, 500 Million Dollars, & 20 Status Updates for the Weekend
June 19, 2015
(...)
5. Everybody wants to shine, but no one wants to polish.
Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.
Recent entries:
•“Butter is such an important superfood that it has its own penthouse in the fridge” (6/25)
•Butter Penthouse (butter section of refrigerator) (6/25)
•Dairy Penthouse (butter section of refrigerator) (6/25)
•“Butter watching the other food items in the fridge from its special tray” (meme) (6/25)
•“Butter looking at the other condiments while in the butter penthouse” (meme) (6/25)
More new entries...
Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps. Stolen and missing, 2021-2024.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.
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