Who said “You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.”?

Verified

James Thurber. A published source records them saying or writing it.

Source"The Owl who was God", The New Yorker (29 April 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940). Parody of "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."

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“You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.”
— James Thurber
Verified"The Owl who was God", The New Yorker (29 April 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940). Parody of "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." · evidenceLies and Lying

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: "The Owl who was God", The New Yorker (29 April 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940). Parody of "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.".

APA

Thurber, J. (n.d.). You can fool too many of the people too much of the time. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17489-you-can-fool-too-many-of-the-people/

MLA

Thurber, James. “You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17489-you-can-fool-too-many-of-the-people/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Thurber, James. “You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17489-you-can-fool-too-many-of-the-people/.

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“He who hesitates is sometimes saved.”
Verified"The Glass in the Field", The New Yorker (31 October 1939); Fables for Our Time & Famous Poems Illustrated (1940). · evidenceDetails & citeIndecision
“Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?”
VerifiedCartoon caption, The New Yorker (5 June 1937); "Word Dance--Part One", A Thurber Carnival (1960) · evidenceDetails & citeConflict
“A word to the wise is not sufficient if it doesn't make any sense.”
Verified"The Weaver and the Worm", The New Yorker (11 August 1956); Further Fables for Our Time (1956) · evidenceDetails & citeWisdom
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