The phrase was not popular among economists before the twentieth century; Alfred Marshall never used it in his Principles of Economics textbook and neither does William Stanley Jevons in his Theory of Political Economy.
Ungkapan tersebut belum populer di kalangan ekonom sebelum abad ke-20; Alfred Marshall tidak pernah menggunakannya dalam buku teks prinsip-Prinsip Ekonomi dan demikian juga William Stanley Jevons dalam Teori Ekonomi Politik.