By the Grace of G-d

Who said, "Smile in the face of adversity," first?

Or how about this one?

And what say you to the game at chestes? It is truely an honest kynde of enterteynmente and wittie, quoth Syr Friderick. But me think it hath a fault, whiche is, that a man may be to couning at it, for who ever will be excellent in the playe of chestes, I beleave he must beestowe much tyme about it, and applie it with so much study, that a man may assoone learne some noble scyence, or compase any other matter of importaunce, and yet in the ende in beestowing all that laboure, he knoweth no more but a game. Therfore in this I beleave there happeneth a very rare thing, namely, that the meane is more commendable, then the excellency.

Here's one:

"The phenomena of chess are so very numerous and various, that some men have been led to dismiss the subject with the remark that it is inexhaustible."

-William Cluley, The Philosophy of Chess, 1857

Come on, can't anybody do better than "whoever was married to Aunt Esther on Sanford & Son"?

I would give all my member points to the person who can tell me who said (or wrote) first, "Smile in the face of adversity."

No man can smile in the face of adversity and mean it.

--Edgar Watson Howe

That's from Google, but the phrase "smile in the face of adversity brings up a lot of links.

Google doesn't really say where the phrase originated.

not sure how many membership points it will take, but put it into an email as follows:

General Patton first uttered the phrase "smile in the face of adversity" after (and make up some heartwarming or uplifting story).  Then end it with the normal "forward this to everyone in your friends list or you will have nothing but adversity to smile at until an opossum plays dead on your front porch". 

with any luck, enough people will question it to show up on snopes.com and you will have your answer. 

Who first said "What are YOU smiling at?"

Quotes like those are too common to be able to attribute to one person, IMO.

 you a funny guy!!  Thanks for your comment. (Was it really a suggestion?  If so, you can have all my member points if you do it and succeed.)

 I know, that's why I turned to this forum.  I was once helped here identifying a poem by William Yeats simply from the misquoted phrase, "don't tread on my dreams," about a year or two ago.  I was so impressed and have such gratitude from this website, I just had to try again! 

By the way remember me?  Howyadoin?

i can't do it.  i have five friends.  i can't risk losing any of them with an email forwards.  if i lose another i may have to hire a maid just so i can have someone to talk to once a week or so. 

 Five friends, baloney!  With your wit, chap, you must have at least more than you can count on one hand.  Seriously.

i am missing two fingers on my right hand, so i start with that one when i want to feel better about myself.