Copyediting: Behind The Scenes
Oh, I was all set to use the above post as an example of why writers need a professional copyeditor.
Now the point is to double-check the copyeditor!
A copyeditor is still required — and good for them for raising issues such as the one pointed out in that post.
But we live in Google Book Search World these days.
And so in this example, at least, you can see that the copyeditor was actually wrong.
UPDATE: I’ve had to kill the link. After further study of the link, I’ve deemed it worthless. Google Book Search is unscholarly in how it arranges content and publication dates are untrustworthy. Personally, I still think the copyeditor was wrong and the phrase in question existed before the given citation. Can anyone out there confirm that with a reliable citation? Now I won’t rest today until I’ve found it!
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Mike Cane 2008 
December 13, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Sounded like a good title for a country song from the 60’s or 70’s. Damned if I wasn’t right- Mac Davis released STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES (album and song) January 1, 1974.
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/davis_mac/419065/album.jhtml
I don’t know if that’s the first use of the phrase (I doubt it), but that’s all you need to disprove what the copywriter said.
December 14, 2008 at 11:40 am
Yes, I saw that. Now where did Mac Davis get the phrase from? Banging my head against the Internet was otherwise fruitless. At some point the first use will turn up! Thanks.