The sight of the gallows...

Posted by Victoria S Dennis August 13, 2009 at 06:18In reply to The sight of the gallows... posted by Dale K. on August 12, 2009 at 18:19:

What is the origin of "The sight of the gallows clears the mind"?

It sounds like a garbled and worn-down version of Samuel Johnson's remark (recorded by Boswell i his Life of Johnson): "Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully." (VSD)