Barnum's biographer Arthur H. Saxon tried to track down when Barnum had uttered this phrase but was unable to verify it. According to Saxon, "There's no contemporary account of it, or even any suggestion that the word 'sucker' was used in the derogatory sense in his day. Barnum was just not the type to disparage his patrons."[1]
Some sources claim that it is most likely from famous con-man Joseph ("Paper Collar Joe") Bessimer,[2] and other sources say that it was actually uttered by David Hannum in reference to Barnum's part in the Cardiff Giant hoax.[3] Hannum was exhibiting the "original" giant and had unsuccessfully sued Barnum for exhibiting a copy and claiming that it was the original. Crowds continued to pay to see Barnum's exhibit, even after both it and the original had been proven to be fakes.[citation needed] A circus competitor to Barnum, Adam Forepaugh, attributed the quote to Barnum in a newspaper interview in an attempt to discredit him.[4]
Another source credits late 1860s Chicago saloon owner Michael Cassius McDonald as the originator of the aphorism. According to the book Gem of the Prairie: Chicago Underworld (1940) by Herbert Asbury, McDonald was equipping his gambling house known as The Store when his partner expressed concern over the large number of roulette wheels and faro tables being installed and their ability to get enough players. McDonald then allegedly said, "Don't worry about that, there's a sucker born every minute."[page needed]
Historyedit
Early uses of the phrase refer to it as a catch-phrase among gamblers. In an 1879 discussion of gambling in Chicago, an "old-timer" is quoted as saying, "[G]oodness knows how they live, it’s mighty hard times with the most of them; in the season they make a bit on base ball, or on the races, and then, you know, 'there’s a sucker born every minute', and rigid city legislation drives the hard-up gambler, who would be a decent one of the kind, to turn skin-dealer and sure-thing player."[5] The use of quotation marks indicates that it must already have been an established catch-phrase.
The phrase appears in print in the 1885 biography of confidence manHungry Joe, The Life of Hungry Joe, King of the Bunco Men.[6][7]
In a slightly different form, the phrase shows up in the January 1806 European Magazine: "That there vash von fool born every minute.'"[8] According to David W. Maurer, writing in The Big Con (1940),[9] there was a similar saying amongst con men: "There's a mark born every minute, and one to trim 'em and one to knock 'em." Here 'trim' means to steal from, and 'knock' means to persuade away from a scam. The meaning is that there is no shortage of new victims, nor of con men, nor of honest men.
^Brooks, Andree (October 3, 1982). "Debunking the Myth of P. T. Barnum". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2014.
^Saxon, A. H. (1989). P. T. Barnum: the Legend and the Man. Columbia University Press.
^. Archived from the original on 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
^Kuntz, Jerry (2010). A Pair of Shootists: The Wild West Story of S.F. Cody and Maud Lee. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 32. ISBN978-0-8061-4149-7. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
^ "Gambling in Chicago". The Inter-Ocean. January 2, 1879. p. 5. Retrieved April 18, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
^The Life of Hungry Joe, King of the Bunco Men. New York: Frank Tousey. 1885. p. 22. OCLC 78310948.
^"Essay on False Genius". The European Magazine and London Review. January 1806.
^Maurer, David W. (1999) [1940]. The Big Con: The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game (reprinted). New York: Bobbs Merrill / Anchor Books. ISBN0-385-49538-2.
External linksedit
Quotations related to P. T. Barnum at Wikiquote
December 18, 2023
there, sucker, born, every, minute, phrase, closely, associated, with, barnum, american, showman, 19th, century, although, there, evidence, that, actually, said, early, examples, found, among, gamblers, confidence, tricksters, contents, attribution, barnum, hi. There s a sucker born every minute is a phrase closely associated with P T Barnum an American showman of the mid 19th century although there is no evidence that he actually said it Early examples of its use are found among gamblers and confidence tricksters Contents 1 Attribution to Barnum 2 History 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksAttribution to Barnum editBarnum s biographer Arthur H Saxon tried to track down when Barnum had uttered this phrase but was unable to verify it According to Saxon There s no contemporary account of it or even any suggestion that the word sucker was used in the derogatory sense in his day Barnum was just not the type to disparage his patrons 1 nbsp Photo of P T Barnum by Charles EisenmannSome sources claim that it is most likely from famous con man Joseph Paper Collar Joe Bessimer 2 and other sources say that it was actually uttered by David Hannum in reference to Barnum s part in the Cardiff Giant hoax 3 Hannum was exhibiting the original giant and had unsuccessfully sued Barnum for exhibiting a copy and claiming that it was the original Crowds continued to pay to see Barnum s exhibit even after both it and the original had been proven to be fakes citation needed A circus competitor to Barnum Adam Forepaugh attributed the quote to Barnum in a newspaper interview in an attempt to discredit him 4 Another source credits late 1860s Chicago saloon owner Michael Cassius McDonald as the originator of the aphorism According to the book Gem of the Prairie Chicago Underworld 1940 by Herbert Asbury McDonald was equipping his gambling house known as The Store when his partner expressed concern over the large number of roulette wheels and faro tables being installed and their ability to get enough players McDonald then allegedly said Don t worry about that there s a sucker born every minute page needed History editEarly uses of the phrase refer to it as a catch phrase among gamblers In an 1879 discussion of gambling in Chicago an old timer is quoted as saying G oodness knows how they live it s mighty hard times with the most of them in the season they make a bit on base ball or on the races and then you know there s a sucker born every minute and rigid city legislation drives the hard up gambler who would be a decent one of the kind to turn skin dealer and sure thing player 5 The use of quotation marks indicates that it must already have been an established catch phrase The phrase appears in print in the 1885 biography of confidence man Hungry Joe The Life of Hungry Joe King of the Bunco Men 6 7 In a slightly different form the phrase shows up in the January 1806 European Magazine That there vash von fool born every minute 8 According to David W Maurer writing in The Big Con 1940 9 there was a similar saying amongst con men There s a mark born every minute and one to trim em and one to knock em Here trim means to steal from and knock means to persuade away from a scam The meaning is that there is no shortage of new victims nor of con men nor of honest men In the 1930 John Dos Passos novel The 42nd Parallel the quotation is attributed to Mark Twain See also editBarnum effectReferences edit Brooks Andree October 3 1982 Debunking the Myth of P T Barnum The New York Times Retrieved April 27 2014 Saxon A H 1989 P T Barnum the Legend and the Man Columbia University Press HistoryReference org P T Barnum Never Did Say There s a Sucker Born Every Minute Archived from the original on 2017 03 06 Retrieved 2017 02 20 Kuntz Jerry 2010 A Pair of Shootists The Wild West Story of S F Cody and Maud Lee Norman Oklahoma University of Oklahoma Press p 32 ISBN 978 0 8061 4149 7 Retrieved 7 October 2021 Gambling in Chicago The Inter Ocean January 2 1879 p 5 Retrieved April 18 2016 via Newspapers com nbsp Jay Ricky February 2011 Grifters Bunco Artists amp Flimflam Men Wired Vol 19 no 2 p 90 The Life of Hungry Joe King of the Bunco Men New York Frank Tousey 1885 p 22 OCLC 78310948 Essay on False Genius The European Magazine and London Review January 1806 Maurer David W 1999 1940 The Big Con The Story of the Confidence Man and the Confidence Game reprinted New York Bobbs Merrill Anchor Books ISBN 0 385 49538 2 External links edit nbsp Quotations related to P T Barnum at Wikiquote Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title There 27s a sucker born every minute amp oldid 1163491113, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
