[Ads-l] Quote Origin: Blessed Are the Cracked for They Shall Let in the Light

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The passage containing the key quotation in "The Philosophy of
Mystery" is spoken by the character Astr. to the character Castaly.
So, I asked Google about these characters. I did not expect much, but
the AI response revealed the increasing sophistication of AI systems.
The Google AI system had "read" the book "The Philosophy of Mystery"
because the text was available via Project Gutenberg.

I only checked the first three sentences of the AI overview. Those
sentences appear correct.

[Begin AI Overview by Google]
Astr. and Castaly are characters from the 1841 book The Philosophy of
Mystery by Walter Cooper Dendy.

In the text of this classic work, "Astr." is the printed abbreviation
for Astrophel, a "moon-struck student" and cloistered scholar who
believes himself to be a gifted seer. Castaly is his female companion
in the book's philosophical dialogues. Together with characters named
Evelyn and Ida, they debate various supernatural and psychological
topics, including:

Phantoms and ghost stories
Dreams, sleep, and illusions
Mesmerism and "magnetic sleep"

Are you researching a specific passage or quote from The Philosophy of
Mystery, or were you looking for a different topic entirely (such as
ASTR the Label clothing or Castaly woodworking machinery)?
[End AI Overview by Google]

Garson

On Fri, Sep 25, 2026 at 10:54 AM ADSGarson O'Toole
<adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Wonderful suggestion, Stephen. I was working on this update.
>
> The following 1841 citation supports your hypothesis.  The book "The
> Philosophy of Mystery" contains a remark by the character Astrophel, a
> student, who attributes the quip to Samuel Parr.
>
> [ref] 1841, The Philosophy of Mystery by Walter Cooper Dendy, Chapter:
> Phantasy from Cerebral Excitement, Quote Page 75, Longman, Orme,
> Brown, Green, & Longmans, London. (Google Books Full View) link [/ref]
> https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Philosophy_of_Mystery/5tz5JD8FNBwC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22a%20crack%22
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> But say, if there be (in vulgar words) a crack in this cranium of
> mine, may not this crack, as saith the learned Samuel Parr, "let in
> the light?"
> If prophetic visions in the early ages came over the dying, why not in ours?
> [End excerpt]
>
> Here is an 1878 citation in which the joke is applied to "Dr. Parr".
> Note, Samuel Parr earned a law degree from University of Cambridge,
> but he was not a professor there.
>
> [ref] 1878 April 3, Central Presbyterian, Recent Publications (Book
> review of "Home Reminiscences of John Randolph of Roanoke"), Quote
> Page 2, Column 3, Richmond, Virginia. (Newspapers_com) link [/ref]
> https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-central-presbyterian-parr/206678543/
>
> [Begin excerpt]
> If during a considerable portion of his life he was to a certain
> degree insane—which many think—it was, as some one said of the
> celebrated Cambridge Professor, Dr. Parr, a crack in his head that let
> in light.
> [End excerpt]
>
> I will update the QI article with acknowledgement soon.
> With appreciation
> Garson O'Toole
>
> On Fri, Sep 25, 2026 at 8:03 AM Stephen Goranson
> <00001dd3d6fc15d3-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > I guess the Dr. Parr was Dr. Samuel Parr (1747-1825).
> >
> > Stephen Goranson
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 24, 2026 at 7:48 PM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> > 00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > The traditional slang meaning of "cracked" is crazy, foolish, or
> > > eccentric. Here are three versions of a comical saying which uses
> > > wordplay:
> > >
> > > (1) You've got to be cracked to let the light in.
> > > (2) Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light.
> > > (3) They were certainly cracked: but the crack let in light.
> > >
> > > This quip has been attributed to Irish comedian Spike Milligan,
> > > Canadian politician Lydia Augusta Arsens, U.S comedian Groucho Marx,
> > > pseudonymous humorist Tramp Starr, Scottish classical scholar John
> > > Stuart Blackie, and others. An email about this saying inspired my
> > > exploration.
> > >
> > > The earliest match I found appeared in an 1830 book titled "An Inquiry
> > > Concerning the Indications of Insanity" by John Conolly, Professor of
> > > Medicine at the University of London:
> > >
> > > [Begin excerpt]
> > > Every county presents one or more specimens of individuals who are
> > > reputed scientific by those more ignorant of science than themselves;
> > > eccentric men, whose wandering attention has travelled over every
> > > subject … in the opinion of their neighbours, they become accounted
> > > "wonderfully clever men, but certainly a little mad." The learned and
> > > benevolent Dr. Parr used to say of such men, that they were certainly
> > > cracked: but that the crack let in light;--and even then, it is to be
> > > feared, he estimated them too highly.
> > > [End excerpt]
> > >
> > > I do not know the first name of Dr. Parr who is currently the leading
> > > candidate for coiner of this quip.
> > >
> > > Here is a link to the Quote Investigator article.
> > > https://quoteinvestigator.com/2026/09/24/cracked-light/
> > >
> > > Feedback welcome
> > > Garson O'Toole
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> > >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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