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

Tue Sep 29 15:35:00 UTC 2026

Thanks, Fred, I was trying to recall Cohen's version.
Stephen

On Tue, Sep 29, 2026 at 9:16 AM Shapiro, Fred <
00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> A modern version appears in Leonard Cohen's 1992 song "Anthem":
>
> Ring the bells that still can ring.
> Forget your perfect offering.
> There is a crack in everything.
> That's how the light gets in.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> ADSGarson O'Toole <00001aa1be50b751-dmarc-request at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Friday, September 25, 2026 11:09
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Quote Origin: Blessed Are the Cracked for They Shall Let in
> the Light
>
> 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://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fbooks%2Fedition%2FThe_Philosophy_of_Mystery%2F5tz5JD8FNBwC%3Fhl%3Den%26gbpv%3D1%26bsq%3D%2522a%2520crack%2522&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7Cb9982b7a7cb14aa2e91a08df1b1714a0%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C639259458083258998%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=T9fX4FHzPRhv1mcUv5QntJ%2FnGxGiVYrkOuZG%2FiqpDH8%3D&reserved=0
> <
> 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://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newspapers.com%2Farticle%2Fthe-central-presbyterian-parr%2F206678543%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7Cb9982b7a7cb14aa2e91a08df1b1714a0%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C639259458083341684%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7W1croGysVlvKB7QDb9PYwkQMwhUCKPad8ErNpjXn8I%3D&reserved=0
> <
> 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://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fquoteinvestigator.com%2F2026%2F09%2F24%2Fcracked-light%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cfred.shapiro%40YALE.EDU%7Cb9982b7a7cb14aa2e91a08df1b1714a0%7Cdd8cbebb21394df8b4114e3e87abeb5c%7C0%7C0%7C639259458083387981%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=vrNuJkjPqfwh9EUtmaHGkhVVwdHoUNdiIcIWQztSqSo%3D&reserved=0
> <https://quoteinvestigator.com/2026/09/24/cracked-light/>
> > > >
> > > > Feedback welcome
> > > > Garson O'Toole
> > > >
> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > The American Dialect Society -
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
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>

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