The all-new Yale Book of Quotations attributes to Richard Lewis the expression, “the (blank) from hell,” as in “I had a date from hell.” Asked how he felt these years after he created a phrase that is an integral part of daily vernacular and advertising jargon, Lewis uncharacteristically said, “I’m completely in heaven.”

What started as part of his popular, early stand-up comedy routine, “I had a date from hell,” from which he digressed into the pains of his relationships and, in general, of feeling victimized by practically everything on earth, has now become a well aged, fine whine and been popularized enough to be commonly used even as a marketing slogan.

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