[Ads-l] Quote: Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience

[James Eric Lawson]

I screwed that up thoroughly. The advice quoted is in Howard's Appendix 
(not Defoe's _A true collection_), the provenance of which is as certain 
as could be hoped.

On 1/30/23 13:29, James Eric Lawson wrote:
>  From my perspective, the quote you mention ("never argue with stupid 
> people, etc.") is of a piece with other similar advice, including 
> negative polarity fights with chimney sweeps, pigs, polecats (aka 
> skunks), et al. For some of these, and some early texts mentioning them, 
> see the question and answers at "Tinkle contest with a skunk", on 
> English Language & Usage:
> 
> https://english.stackexchange.com/q/486645
> 
> Quote Investigator articles are referenced in one of the answers there.
> 
> My latest discovery along these lines is in the Appendix of 

Howard's 1756 _A collection of letters_ The advice is the usual:

> 1756  Leonard Howard *A collection of letters* v2, Appendix page 36 
> ...if we quarrel with a Fool it is like taking up the Box or throwing 
> our Stake upon an empty Gaming Table, we have the Discredit to be seen 
> in the Place and can win nothing.
> 
> https://archive.org/details/collectionoflett02howaiala/page/36/mode/2up?q=quarrel
> 
> 
> 
> On 1/29/23 23:38, ADSGarson O'Toole wrote:
>> The saying in the subject line is often attributed to humorist Mark
>> Twain and comedian George Carlin without substantive evidence. Matt
>> Seybold who is an Associate Professor of American Literature & Mark
>> Twain Studies at Elmira College performed excellent research on this
>> topic. He connected the saying to actor Yul Brynner and French artist
>> Jean Cocteau.
>>
>> Now I’ve posted an article:
>> https://quoteinvestigator.medium.com/316627b20567
>> Abbreviated article: 
>> https://quoteinvestigator.com/2023/01/29/never-argue/
>>
>> [Begin acknowledgements]
>> Great thanks to Marian T. Wirth, Brian Zachary Mayer, Thayne Davidson
>> Muller, Robert McMillan, AnxiousPony, and Jane Bella whose inquiries
>> led QI to formulate this question and perform this exploration. Also,
>> thanks to Matt Seybold for his pioneering research.
>> [End acknowledgements]
>>
>> Feedback and early citations would be welcome
>> Garson
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> 

-- 
James Eric Lawson

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org