According to this source, the first known use of the term is in French author, Eugene Sue's novel Memoirs of Matilda published in 1846.
Jan 21 2013, 9:53 AM
looney_tunes
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looney_tunes Moderator 19 year member
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While there are a number of earlier statements along the same line, it seems that "The popularly familiar wording can be attributed to 'The Godfather' by Mario Puzo, a major bestseller in 1969 ... The familiar wording more recently appears in the title sequence of the 2003 Quentin Tarantino film 'Kill Bill: Vol 1', first used as an "Old Klingon Proverb", referencing its use in 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan', which so cites it."