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What is the origin of the quote, “You can satisfy some of the people all the time..."?

English Language & Usage Asked on April 17, 2021

“…and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot satisfy all of the people all the time”? I have seen it attributed to John Lydgate, Abe Lincoln and PT Barnum.

2 Answers

The actual quote is:

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.

It is is most often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but this is disputed:

This is probably the most famous of apparently apocryphal remarks attributed to Lincoln. Despite being cited variously as from an 1856 speech, or a September 1858 speech in Clinton, Illinois, there are no known contemporary records or accounts substantiating that he ever made the statement. The earliest known appearance is October 29, 1886 in the Milwaukee Daily Journal. It later appeared in the New York Times on August 26 and August 27, 1887. The saying was repeated several times in newspaper editorials later in 1887. In 1888 and, especially, 1889, the saying became commonplace, used in speeches, advertisements, and on portraits of Lincoln. In 1905 and later, there were attempts to find contemporaries of Lincoln who could recall Lincoln saying this. Historians have not, generally, found these accounts convincing.

[Wikiquote]

Answered by michael.hor257k on April 17, 2021

John Lydgate of Bury, England, 15th century, monk and poet.
[GoodReads]

Answered by user335126 on April 17, 2021

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