If if's and buts were candy and nuts........

if's and buts where apples and nuts........

can you finish the phrase and do you know it's origins and purpose

"If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, wouldn't it be a Merry Christmas?" seems to be attributed to Don Meredith (the American football player/commentator). To rephrase it: if all these reasons why we can't do something were party foods instead of words, we could have a really great party.

It would seem to be patterned after "If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride" and "If I had a for every , I'd have ".