George Jean Nathan

1882–1958 · American drama critic and magazine editor

George Jean Nathan (14 February 1882 – 8 April 1958) was the most feared American drama critic of his generation and, with H. L. Mencken, co-founder and co-editor of The Smart Set and The American Mercury. His reviewing style was exactly the register this joke lives in: compressed, contemptuous and built for reprinting. That is also why the joke could migrate — a Nathan-shaped insult is a Parker-shaped insult, and only one of those names is still a household word.

Traced to source

1 quote we’ve traced

“He's a Writer for the Ages—For the Ages of Four to Eight”

Disputed

On the research bench

Commonly pinned on George Jean Nathan — under review

1 line flagged as pinned on George Jean Nathan and queued for a full source trace — not yet verified.

“Origin of a Theatrical Review: I Saw It Under Adverse Conditions. The Curtain Was Up”

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