antedating "three kinds of falsehood...statistics" June 8, 1891

[Shapiro, Fred]

Good show, Stephen!

Fred Shapiro


________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Stephen Goranson [goranson at DUKE.EDU]
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2009 8:46 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: antedating "three kinds of falsehood...statistics" June 8, 1891

Letter written june 8, 1891, published June 13, 1891, The National Observer p.
93(-94):
NATIONAL PENSIONS
[To the Editor of _The National Observer_]
London, 8th June, 1891
Sir,--It has been wittily remarked that there are three kinds of
falsehood: the
first is a 'fib,' the second is a downright lie, and the third and most
aggravated is statistics. It is on statistics and on the absence of statistics
that the advocate of national pensions relies.....


The three previously noticed quotations from later in 1891:

_Notes & Queries_ 10 Oct. 288  DEGREES OF FALSEHOOD. -- Who was it who
said, "There are three degrees of falsehood: the first is a fib, the second is
a lie, and then come statistics"?  ST. SWITHIN

Sir Charles Dilke [1843-1911] was saying the other day that false statements
might be arranged according to their degree under three heads, fibs, lies, and
statistics. The Bristol Mercury and Daily Post, Monday, October 19 1891

PUBLIC MEN ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS
The Derby Mercury (Derby, England), October 21, 1891; Issue 9223
SIR CHARLES DILKE AND THE BISHOPS
A mass meeting of the slate quarry-men of Festiniog [Ffestiniog, Wales]
was held
Wednesday night [Oct. 14] to protest against certain dismissals from
one of the
quarries....He [Dilke] observed that the speeches of the Bishops on the
disestablishment question reminded him that there were three degrees of
untruth--a fib, a lie, and statistics (Laughter)

Stephen Goranson
http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
"Jannaeus, His Brother Absalom, and Judah the Essene"

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