The comedian, who passed away this week, claimed to have originated the widely-used phrase. In an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" focusing on a troublesome nanny, he recounted his struggles to receive recognition for it.
Describing Richard Lewis as the comedian from hell would be a compliment. Recognized for his dark attire, humor, and recurring role on HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Lewis was a comedy mainstay for over five decades. His enduring legacy might be the creation of a simple phrase, like "The (insert hated thing here) from hell," which, spoken so frequently, has become universally understood, even if its origin remains a mystery.
According to Richard Lewis and the "Yale Book of Quotations," he claimed credit for coining the phrase. On what was then known as Twitter, he posted, asking, "Where was my Nobel Peace prize?" and shared a 2006 UPI article highlighting his inclusion in the "Yale Book of Quotations." In a 2008 Interview Magazine interview, Mr. Lewis acknowledged that much of his comedic talent centered around the expression "from hell."