Phyllis Diller annivesary

Thanks to The Writer's Almanac for this information

It's the birthday of comedienne Phyllis Diller, born in Lima, Ohio (1917), and often called the 'Funniest Woman in the World.'

She didn't start her career in stand-up comedy until she was middle-aged. But she had spent much of her life as a housewife, telling jokes and doing impersonations and making groups of people laugh.

At the Laundromat, she would tell other housewives things like, 'I bury a lot of my ironing in the backyard' and 'Housework can't kill you, but why take a chance?'

When she became a professional entertainer, she drew extensively upon her experiences as the mother of five children who struggled to keep her house clean.