Hi there,

I recently have been researching Elbert Hubbard, founder of the Roycrofters in East Aurora, N.Y. The other day I came upon a famous (and quite amusing) quote of his that said:

"Health must be earned - get it, you lobster!!"

If anyone has any clue as to why he'd use the word "Lobster," can you please enlighten me? I am truly curious.

Also, if anyone has good, reliable sources of information about Hubbard, I would love to hear from you. That is to say if you've read anything interesting or informative on him, please let me know where/how I can find it!

Thanks!

I would locate a copy of Felix Shay's biography "Elbert Hubbard of East Aurora" published by the Roycrofters in 1926.

You may also want to check out his book of "1001 Epigrams". This has the quote you seek.

We can only speculate on his reason for using the Lobster to symolize a sluggish person.

Hello Fred,
She could also read about him in the history I wrote right here on the forums.

Respectfully,

Ralph Jones

Ralph,

Karabou is asking about a specific term in an epigram that Elbert Hubbard. The exact reason why Hubbard would have used the term Lobster in his phrase..."Health must be earned - get it, you lobster!!" Karabou will need to dig deep into Elbert's reading to perhaps find a clue.

Lobster: 1. a bottom dwelling creature, therefore not intelligent...2. the pre-entre state of an animal lazing in a tank of water, not energetic forward thinking...

just a few thoughts...

Don,
That is as good a guess as any.

Karabou -

Lobster over the years has had a number of slang meanings including lobster back for British soldiers, the results of a sunburn, a rude term for Cuban women, and by some during the 19th century as a "gullible, awkward, bungling, or undesirable person." Of course, as one writer pointed out, it could have been Hubbard being funny knowing that it would make you crazy a hundred years later!

R.

Good Morning Friends,
Reading between the lines, I can envision the reason he made the statement is because, like today the couch potato makes no effort to get his body in shape ERG. Health must be earned you Lobster;

You get out of life what you put into it and if one chooses to not have or earn good physical health he shall become a listless lobster.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Respectfully,

Ralph Jones