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Magician Markus Kompa interviews Geller:

http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/27/27217/1.html

Anyone seen Jon Ronson's "The Men Who Stare at Goats"? It all makes sense now

Why am I reminded of a certain quote by P.T Barnum?

bmat wrote:Why am I reminded of a certain quote by P.T Barnum?

Yep!

As an interesting side note, there are those who claim that P.T. Barnum never said such a thing (and I'm positive that we're talking about the same quote). In fact, they have compelling reasons for doubting that the quote was ever issued from the lips of Barnum.

For my own part and in contradiction of their belief, I do think that he said it.

Mike.

I heard that before but when I hear the quote in my head, I hear it in his voice so I'm sticking with it being Barnum.

The problem with Barnum is that most things he "said" are apocryphal, but I think he once said "This way to the egress!"

Tomo wrote:The problem with Barnum is that most things he "said" are apocryphal, but I think he once said "This way to the egress!"

He definitely said that! Or, at least posted a sign saying that.

Yep, one born every minute.

Mike.

Michael Jay wrote:

bmat wrote:Why am I reminded of a certain quote by P.T Barnum?

Yep!

As an interesting side note, there are those who claim that P.T. Barnum never said such a thing (and I'm positive that we're talking about the same quote). In fact, they have compelling reasons for doubting that the quote was ever issued from the lips of Barnum.

For my own part and in contradiction of their belief, I do think that he said it.

Mike.

"Never give a sucker an even break..." has been credited to Barnum for years but if my trivia is up to date I think it is actually much older than Barnum and of all people, I think the story has it that Ben Franklin actually said it... I'm not positive on that, but I remember how odd it struck me when I read it on some web site on quotes and proper crediting... I'll have to find the links again, you've got my head spinning on it.

Never give a sucker an even break...That was a W.C. Fields movie, wasn't it?

The problem with old quotes is that you don't know who picked what up, where...

Now the other quote possibly in question, is "There's a sucker born every minute." Is that P.T.?

Mike.

"There's a sucker born every minute."

I've heard two stories considering this quote.

The first is that it was not said by P.T., but his neighbor (and competitor) across the street. This neighbor had an exhibit, which Barnum "ripped off". The quote was said by the neighbor about the public flocking to Barnum's place.

The second was that it couldn't have been said by anyone at the purposed point in history because the word "sucker" didn't become common slang until many years later. Whatever it was I was reading hypothesized that the actual quote may have been "There's a humbug born every minute" which was a more common expression at the time, and it eventually turned into "sucker".

Man, that's good stuff, Tyler.

Back to giving a sucker an even break - it is attributed to Fields, but I found this:

Eric Partridge, in his Dictionary of Catch Phrases, says the quotation is "more credibly attributed to a remark made by Edward Francis Albee (1857-1930)", although he offers no evidence to support that view.

Please note, this is off the subject of the Barnum quote.

Mike.

Michael Jay wrote:Never give a sucker an even break...That was a W.C. Fields movie, wasn't it?

Yes. On the other hand, there was a dodgy 70s 'art' film about CB-using truckers.

Never Give a Breaker an Even...

Hang on, is that the phone?

Part-Timer wrote:

I wrote:Never give a sucker an even break...That was a W.C. Fields movie, wasn't it?

Yes. On the other hand, there was a dodgy 70s 'art' film about CB-using truckers.

Never Give a Breaker an Even...

That groan that you heard just now came from the other side of the puddle, Bro.

Mike.