Query: "$64,000 quesiton"

Cohen, Gerald Leonard gcohen at UMR.EDU
Tue May 8 21:33:08 UTC 2007


   I've received the following query from a colleague:

    'Is there a generally accepted origin for the phrase "$64,000 question"?'

   All I know is that the phrase was originally "That's the $64 question," and IIRC, it got raised to "64,000 question" as the title of a TV quiz show in the late 1950's.  Also, IIRC, that's the one which Charles Van Doren appeared on.

   Would anyone have anything to add (or correct) here?  Any help would be much appreciated.

Gerald Cohen

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