[Idiom] You get what you pay for and pay for what you get

[Vernita]

I need info on the phrase "You get what you pay for and pay for what you get". How long has it been around? Where did it come from? What I did find was Kurt Vonnegut saying from Cat's Cradle- In this world, you get what you pay for..
Thanks,
Vernita

 

[docdoc]

This isn't exactly the same phrase, but the idea is similar, and I just ran across it last night in Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett and was struck by it. Here is the quote from the book:

"Years before, in college, she'd taken a literature course and they had read a lot of James Baldwin, among others. Though she couldn't remember what book it came from, one line in particular had always stuck with her. People pay for what they do, Baldwin had written, and more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply, with the lives they lead."

 

[SanMar]

This isn't exactly the same phrase, but the idea is similar, and I just ran across it last night in Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett and was struck by it. Here is the quote from the book:

"Years before, in college, she'd taken a literature course and they had read a lot of James Baldwin, among others. Though she couldn't remember what book it came from, one line in particular had always stuck with her. People pay for what they do, Baldwin had written, and more, for what they have allowed themselves to become. And they pay for it simply, with the lives they lead."

I love that line!
:-D

 

[Route21]

Hi docdoc

I agree with SanMar - what an excellent quote.
I've managed to locate the original James Baldwin source:

James Baldwin - Wikiquote
"People pay for what they do, and still more for what they have allowed themselves to become, and they pay for it, very simply, by the lives they lead.

• No Name in the Street (1972)"

I can think of a number of current situations where such a quote could easily apply!

Many thanks for posting it!

Best regards
R21