That’s All She Wrote by Neal Murphy

August 20, 2020 - If you are like me you have heard this phrase most of your life, but probably not thought much about it. On the surface it appears to have a finality about it as it can be translated “that’s all there is,” “it’s finished,” “it’s over,” or “there’s no more.”

A little research reveals an interesting history dating back to the early 1940s and the Second World War. Those of you who can remember how things were during the time that our soldiers were over seas for a very long time, can remember how the wives and sweethearts were left to care for the family by their own devices. Unfortunately, some of these women came to fall out of love with their soldiers, perhaps falling in love with another man who was physically present.

The solution for many of the women was to write a letter to their sweethearts overseas breaking the news that things were over between them. It is reported that an American soldier opens a letter from his wife, or girlfriend, and starts to read it to his mates, “Dear John”…He stops. “Well, go on,” his listeners urge him; “read us the rest of it.” “I can’t,” he replies, “That’s all she wrote.”

These type letters became known as “dumping letters,” or “Dear John” letters. Apparently, many a soldier received these letters while serving their country while over there.

Another possibility is that “that’s all she wrote” comes from the words of a song by Tex Ritter written in 1950 which contained the words, “and that’s all she wrote, Dear John.” In 1946, George Crawford penned “That’s All She Wrote, Cause the Pencil Broke.” However, the idiom appears to have originated prior to the penning of these two songs.

There exists a song penned by Ernest Tubb, the Texas Troubadour, in the late 1930s. His song was entitled “That’s All She Wrote” and appeared in a sheet music collection that was published in 1942. So, it is quite possible that this song contributed to the popularity of the phrase. If so, where it came from originally is probably impossible to discover, though researchers will keep trying. And, that’s all she wrote.