"Can't Win For Losing!"

Well, last night I was talking with Mr. Bean about something we were disappointed on and I said "Can't win for Losing!" Well, Mr. Bean proceeded to tease me relentlessly about making up a phrase that made no sense, in spite of the fact I was vehement it was real. So, to prove me wrong - he went and looked it up on the internet. Lo and behold, there it was - all over the place. "Kerry can't win for losing"; "Mutual tax funds - can't win for losing"; and my personal fave - a detailed definition of the phrase:

"You can't win," as a catchphrase, originated in the United States and was in use by 1950 (according to Eric Partridge, "A Dictionary of Catch Phrases American and British"). It expresses a sense of futility about hoping to succeed or, generally, to get something --anything--done. The elaboration "You can't win for losing," with its added play on logic, was around in the 1960s. It means that losing keeps you from winning; you can't win because things keep going wrong. People would say it when something unexpected or a bit of bad luck spoiled their plans. Actually, the word 'for' may be taken out of context here. It is not used as in "the flower was for her." For also means, because of or as a result of. i.e. "He could not think for jeaslousy." Which would translate "you cannot win as a result of losing."

So, needless to say, I felt vindicated. But then I was thinking of other phrases I say that really sound stupid but I use them a lot: "six or one half dozen of the other"; "all good things come to those who wait"; "when the going get tough, the tough get going" etc.

So why do I say these stupid things? Who knows. As you know, you can't win for losing!