Cf. 1942 G. CIANO Diary 9 Sept. (1946) II. 196 La vittoria trova cento padri, e nessuno
vuole riconoscere l’insuccesso. Victory has a hundred fathers, and no one acknowledges a
failure.
1961 J. F. KENNEDY News Conference 21 Apr. in Public Papers of Presidents of
U.S. (1962) 312 There’s an old saying that victory has 100 fathers and defeat is an
orphan. 1991 Washington Times 29 Jan. G1 In the aftermath of the impeccably executed
aerial attack that initiated the war with Iraq, the old saw that success has many fathers
while failure is an orphan comes to mind. 2002 Times 11 June 19 In war, it has often been
noted, victory has a hundred fathers, but defeat is an orphan. successsuck see don’t TEACH your grandmother to suck eggs.Never give a SUCKER an even breakThis saying has been attributed to various people, including E. F. Albee and W. C. Fields.
It was popularized by Fields, who is said to have used it in the musical comedy Poppy (1923),
though it does not occur in the libretto. Poppy was made into a silent film in 1925 and called
Sally of the Sawdust. This was in turn remade as a ‘talkie’ in 1936 (see quot. 1936). The
proverb means that one should not allow a fair chance to a fool, or one who may be easily
deceived.
1925 Collier’s 28 Nov. 26 ‘That line of mine that brings down the house always was
true, wasn’t it?’ ‘Which line?’ I asked. ‘Never give a sucker an even break’ he [W. C.
Fields] answered. 1936 N. Y. Herald Tribune 15 Mar. v. 1 Wasn’t it ‘Poppy’ that provided
him with his immortal motto, ‘Never give a sucker an even break’? 1940 WODEHOUSE
Eggs, Beans & Crumpets 158 Never give a sucker an even break. .. But your sermon has
made me see that there is something higher and nobler than a code of business ethics.
1979 Daily Telegraph 3 Nov. 24 The basic American business philosophy of ‘never give a
sucker an even break’ runs rampant in those [money] markets. fair dealing; foolssuckling see out of the MOUTHS of babes—.sudden see hasty CLIMBERS have sudden falls.SUE a beggar and catch a louse