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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Underestimating the public
In a recent post elsewhere, I quoted (in good faith) Rupert Murdoch as saying that "nobody ever went broke underestimating the public". I've been trying to find a correct cite for this but have failed. For the record, I think this probably deserves to be in every Murdoch corporate office, but I want to be accurate.
"nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public"
Another attributed to P T Barnum goes:
"nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public"
Does anyone have accurate cites for either of these?
The Nerk
"nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public"
Another attributed to P T Barnum goes:
"nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public"
Does anyone have accurate cites for either of these?
The Nerk
Top answer
" (Henry Louis Mencken) The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
- " (Henry Louis Mencken) The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
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28 Answers
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Just one:
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)
The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)
The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
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Just one:
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)
The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)
The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
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Just one:
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)
The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)
The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
00
Just one:
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)
The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)
The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.
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[nq:1]"nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public" Another attributed to P T Barnum goes:[/nq]
(snip) You can go nuts trying to determine the authorship or wording of quotations from random Web pages. It's about the least rewarding use of the Web I know.
The source is Mencken, but he said something slightly different; the "broke/American" line is a paraphrase.
(snip) You can go nuts trying to determine the authorship or wording of quotations from random Web pages. It's about the least rewarding use of the Web I know.
The source is Mencken, but he said something slightly different; the "broke/American" line is a paraphrase.
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[nq:1]As Evan Kirshenbaum found in a 2002 post, Bartlett's 16th Edition has: No one in this world, so far as ... those quotations are marked "attributed," which makes them doubtful in my mind. Does ProQuest cover the Chicago Tribune of 1926?[/nq]
Yup. The passage appears as quoted above, including "Nor has any one ever lost public office thereby." After this passage Mencken concludes:
Yup. The passage appears as quoted above, including "Nor has any one ever lost public office thereby." After this passage Mencken concludes:
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[nq:1]Just one: "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken) The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.[/nq]
Thanks Arcadian, I don't suppose you have the full citation?
The Nerk
Thanks Arcadian, I don't suppose you have the full citation?
The Nerk
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[nq:1]"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)[/nq]
But keep in mind that this bon mot is "attributed" to HL. An the word "intelligence" is often used in place of "taste", and "people" for "public". It is certainly something that HL would have said.
GFH
But keep in mind that this bon mot is "attributed" to HL. An the word "intelligence" is often used in place of "taste", and "people" for "public". It is certainly something that HL would have said.
GFH
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Arcadian Rises filted:
[nq:1]Just one: "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken) The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.[/nq]
This feels a lot like a later expression: "Nobody ever got fired for recommending IBM"...a quick Google shows nobody willing to ascribe this one to a specific author; most simply refer
[nq:1]Just one: "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken) The other two, chronology permitting, may be paraphrasing Menken.[/nq]
This feels a lot like a later expression: "Nobody ever got fired for recommending IBM"...a quick Google shows nobody willing to ascribe this one to a specific author; most simply refer
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[nq:2]"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." (Henry Louis Mencken)[/nq]
[nq:1]But keep in mind that this bon mot is "attributed" to HL. An the word "intelligence" is often used in place of "taste", and "people" for "public".[/nq]
"Intelligence" and "people" are the actual words Mencken used.
[nq:1]It is certainly something that HL would have said.[/n
[nq:1]But keep in mind that this bon mot is "attributed" to HL. An the word "intelligence" is often used in place of "taste", and "people" for "public".[/nq]
"Intelligence" and "people" are the actual words Mencken used.
[nq:1]It is certainly something that HL would have said.[/n
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