Fool me once

Posted by Bob on October 20, 2005

In Reply to: Fool me once posted by Smokey Stover on October 18, 2005

: : : Does anyone know the origins of "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
: : : thanx

: : Here's all I know:

: : FOOL ME ONCE, SHAME ON YOU; FOOL ME TWICE, SHAME ON ME - "Anyone who falls for the same deceit twice must accept responsibility for his own gullibility; thus, one should be more watchful the next time around. Originally a child's saying." From the Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

: A child's saying? Clever child. SS

More like, a parent speaking to a child. It apparently is too complex for at least one adult: President Bush famously tried to say this once in a speech, and got tangled up in the words.