Death and taxes (idiom) explained

"Death and taxes" is a phrase commonly referencing a famous quotation written by American statesman Benjamin Franklin:

Though Franklin is not the progenitor of the phrase, his usage is the most famous, especially in the United States.^[1] Earlier versions from the 18th century include a line in Daniel Defoe's The Political History of the Devil (1726),^[2] and a quotation from The Cobbler of Preston by Christopher Bullock (1716), which is the earliest known iteration.^[3]

See also

• Irreversible binomial, a pair or group of words used together in fixed order

Notes and References

1. Web site: Liles . Jordan . 20 July 2022 . Did Ben Franklin Pen the Famous 'Death and Taxes' Quote? . 11 November 2022 . Snopes . Snopes Media Group Inc..
2. Book: DeFoe, Daniel. The Political History of the Devil, As Well Ancient as Modern: In Two Parts. Black Boy in Pater-noster Row. 1726. London. 269.
3. Book: The Cobler of Preston, a farce. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal in Lincoln's-Inn-Field, Fifth Edition. Christopher Bullock. 1767 . Bladon, London, 1767. 21.