[Ads-l] Request help getting scans for saying: fib, downright lie, statistics

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Many thanks to Jesse Sheidlower, Grant Barrett, and Stephen Goranson
who responded off-list. The request has been satisfied. Jesse provided
a wonderful Internet Archive link pointing to the page containing the
target quotation!

https://archive.org/details/sim_the-national-observer-and-british-review-of-politics_1891-06-13_6_134/page/93/mode/1up

Grant sent a scan of the target page, and he also found an excellent
match in “Pearson's Weekly” of London dated July 9, 1892.
While searching the British Newspaper Archive I did find another
pertinent citation in 1891.

Date: June 27, 1891
Newspaper: The Preston Herald
Newspaper Location: Lancashire, England
Article: Trifles (Anonymous item in a list of miscellaneous items)
Quote Page 11, Column 6
Database: British Newspaper Archive

[Begin excerpt]
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.
[End excerpt]

Thanks again to all the respondents.
Garson


On Fri, Mar 4, 2022 at 2:35 AM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Way back in January 2009 Stephen Goranson found an important citation
> illuminating the history of the "Lies, damned lies, and statistics"
> saying.
>
> http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/ads-l/2009-January/087220.html
>
> I am trying to obtain scans for this citation. The text of the article
> is indexed by ProQuest, and the full article is probably in one of
> their periodical databases.
>
> June 13, 1891, The National Observer (London) pages 93 and 94
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> 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.....
> [End excerpt]
>
> If you have access to this article, and you are willing to help,
> please contact me off list.
>
> Thanks
> Garson O'Toole

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