Are you sure? I think this is an oldie, maybe 45+ years.

It isn't original with Dr. Rock, by the way -- he admitted he got it from a graffito on a wall. The first source is subject to controversy, as I recall, but I'm not sure who was winning.

I've seen it attributed to Dorothy Parker, and heard it from George Carlin.. so far, all dead.

I Googled it and confirmed that the original source is under debate. Dr. Rock's song, in 1980, is an unambiguous source but clearly not the first -- by his own admission. There are videos of Tom Waits using it in an interview in 1977, and he didn't think it was his original quote, either. The plurality opinion seems to favor Dorothy Parker, with the slightly different version, "I'd rather have a free bottle in front of me than a pre-frontal lobotomy." As usual, she was more clever and more medically accurate than her imitators -- and left no record in writing of her quip.

So, whaddya say, Elf, should we declare victory and withdraw on this one?

The exact quote in that format was from Tom Waits

I'd rather have a bottle a' front o' me and the hippopotamus, than affront me a hyper lobotomist.

Dorothy Parker question- no googling please : When challenged to use the word 'horticulture" in a sentence, she said this:

You can bring a horticulture, but you can't make her think.

Need I say the word? OK, for dignity's sake ...BINGO.

OK, let's stick with Dorothy Parker. I like her, too. Another on-the-spot composition, for you to complete:

Higgledy piggledy, my little hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen.

... ?

I have to disqualify myself for cheating.