‘The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday—but never jam to-day.’ ‘It must come sometimes to “jam to-day”,’ Alice objected. ‘No, it can't,’ said the Queen.
[1871 ‘L. Carroll’ Through Looking-Glass v.]
Just put the Americans into the jam-tomorrow-pie-in-the-sky department awhile.
[1951 ‘J. Wyndham’ Day of Triffids xii.]
The manageress of the launderette calls me darling. ‥‘Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow, but never jam today.’
[1979 Guardian 9 June 10]
Related to: disappointment
Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.
The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs. Copyright © 1982, 1992, 1998, 2003, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
