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There is older English usage that I vaguely remember, about
"gull-catchers" and "gulling" people having to do with bamboozling
them, which fits with that.<br>
<br>
Webster 1828 (if I can trust the Internet!): <font size="-1"><b>GULL</b>'<b>CATCHER</b>,
n. A cheat; a man who cheats or entraps<br>
silly people. GULL'ED, pp. Cheated; deceived; defrauded. <br>
<br>
>From an Annotated "12th Night": </font><font size="-1">Here comes my
noble <b>gull</b><b>-</b><b>catcher</b>. <b>gull</b><b>-</b><b>catcher</b>
tricker of suckers. Re-enter MARIA.<br>
SIR TOBY BELCH. Wilt thou set thy foot o' my neck? o' on <br>
<br>
You can be crazy as a loon, so why not silly as a gull, therefore
gullible?? (Loonible??)<br>
<br>
Most google hits for gull-catcher seem to be either quotes from 12th
night or lists of Shakespearian or other creative insults.<br>
<br>
Any connection with "lulled into thinking that ..."?<br>
</font><br>
--David Tuggy<br>
<br>
Fritz Goerling wrote:
<blockquote
cite="midNHBBIIDNEODNBGGMJEOFGEJJFGAA.fritz_goerling@sil.org"
type="cite">
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<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="3"><font
color="#000000" face="Tahoma" size="2">Gov,</font></font></span></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005"></span></font></font> </div>
<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005">Someone wrote this 500-page dissertation
with 100 footnotes per page that "gullible" comes from "gull",</span></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="3">according
to the word formation principle noun + ible/-able, so take a bird:</font></span></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005"></span><span class="281332914-17062005"><font
color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="3"> </font></span></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="3">swallow-able</font></span></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="3">gull-ible</font> </span><br>
<br>
<span class="281332914-17062005"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial"
size="3">Honest!</font></span></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005"></span></font></font> </div>
<div><font face="Tahoma"><font size="2"><span
class="281332914-17062005"><font color="#0000ff" face="Arial" size="3">Fritz</font> </span></font></font></div>
<blockquote><tt>1. gullible<br>
The term applied to both the participants in the following conversation:<br>
Gullible Person 1: Did you know that 'gullible' isn't in the dictionary?<br>
Gullible Person 2: Really? (Checks dictionary)<br>
Gullible Person 2: Wow! It really isn't in the dictionary!<br>
Gullible Person 1: Oh my God! Give me a look!<br>
<br>
<a
href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gullible&defid=927543">http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gullible&defid=927543</a><br>
<br>
<br>
Steve White, Jaars language software support<br>
704-843-6337, 1-800-215-7813<br>
<br>
<br>
</tt>
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