Cracked gold theatrical mask beside a low cluster of red poppies on dark teal

Original artwork, not a still

"The Owl Who Was God," Fables for Our Time  ·  1940

James Thurber

You can fool too many of the people too much of the time.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

This twist on a familiar saying is a wry complaint about gullibility. Rather than allowing that fooling everyone all the time is impossible, it says deceivers can fool far too many people, far too often. The humour carries a sour view of how easily crowds are misled.

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