"There's a sucker born every minute" is a famous idiom often wrongly attributed to showman P.T. Barnum, suggesting people are easily deceived. Likely coined by banker David Hannum in 1868 regarding the Cardiff Giant hoax, it reflects on human gullibility. It generally refers to the high frequency of naive people.
Origin: Often attributed to P.T. Barnum (1810–1891), but no evidence confirms he said it.
Origin: Often attributed to P.T. Barnum (1810–1891), but no evidence confirms he said it.
Likely Source: David Hannum, a banker from Syracuse, New York, likely coined the phrase to describe crowds flocking to the Cardiff Giant hoax.
Meaning: An expression highlighting that, due to human gullibility, new people (or "suckers") are constantly available to fall for scams, tricks, or marketing gimmicks.
Context: Used to imply that there is a steady, never-ending supply of naive or gullible people, allowing scams to thrive.
The Hoax: The phrase was coined in response to the Cardiff Giant, a ten-foot-tall "petrified man" crafted from gypsum and "discovered" in 1869.
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