do well by doing good

English

Etymology

The origin is unknown; in use since the mid-20th century. Although the phrase is sometimes attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the earliest documented usage is from Tom Lehrer's 1953 novelty song "The Old Dope Peddler."

Pronunciation

Audio (General Australian): (file)

Verb

do well by doing good (third-person singular simple present does well by doing good, present participle doing well by doing good, simple past did well by doing good, past participle done well by doing good)

(idiomatic) To achieve social acceptance or financial success as a result of behaving in a benevolent or charitable manner.
- 1954, Tom Lehrer, “The Old Dope Peddler”, in Songs by Tom Lehrer (LP record), Lehrer Records, Track 2:
  Ev'ry evening you will find him / Around our neighborhood / It's the old dope peddler / Doing well by doing good
- 1960, Albert D. Van Nostrand, The Denatured Novel, volume 3, Bobbs-Merrill, page 170:
  The sanctioning doctrine of Good Works has been at hand every since Benjamin Franklin canonized the Arminian Heresy. So Cash McCall, like his patron saint, does well by doing good.
- 1988, John Greenwald at al., "Japan From Superrich To Superpower," Time, 4 July:
  Of course, like most aid donors, Japan does well by doing good.
- 2006 January 27, Matthew Bishop, “View from Davos: Bono marketing his red badge of virtue”, in telegraph.co.uk, retrieved 21 January 2010:
  He wants companies selling Red products to make a profit by helping the poor—doing well by doing good.