Modern Proverb: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. (antedating exact 1916)

[Garson O'Toole]

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Addendum: The proverb is worded in many different ways, and I tried to
select four interesting citations. Yet, I should have included the
close match below from 1896 with the verb "to fool", the noun "shame",
and two rounds of deception. 1900 is the demarcation between proverbs
and modern proverbs.

Citation: 1896 April 25, St. Paul Daily Globe, Page 2, Column 1, Saint
Paul, Minnesota. (Chronicling America)

"My son," said the old Quaker to his little boy, "if a man fool thee
once, it is a shame to him; but if he fool thee twice it is a shame to
thee."

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90059522/1896-04-25/ed-1/seq-2/;words=fool+thee+once

Garson

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