Dictionary

nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people en · X

Etymology

Widely attributed to American author and social critic H. L. Mencken (1880–1956) but not found verbatim in his published works, so the source and original form of this expression are not known with certainty. Likely a nearly verbatim paraphrase of: "No one in this world, so far as I know ... has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people" which is attributed to Mencken. One possible origin of the reference specifically to Americans is the essay by Nora Ephron originally titled, If You're a Little Mouseburger, Come With Me. I was a Mouseburger And I Will Help You. (1970) In the essay, Ephron refers to "the old Mencken dictum that no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public." The piece was reprinted in Ephron's collection Wallflower at the Orgy. (1970)

Meanings

1. Americans, as a group, are not especially intelligent and can be readily entertained or fooled to produce a financial benefit for someone.
   • Most advertising seems to be aimed at an extremely unintelligent audience, and yet seems effective in persuading most of us. But the software industry may, I suspect, provide a few exceptions to the old saying that “nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.” 2014, Nathaniel S. Borenstein, Programming as If People Mattered, →ISBN, page 70:
   • It's noteworthy, by the way, that a pleasure dome like Palm Beach should also be the home of a drama troupe that not only specializes in shows like "Copenhagen" and "The Chairs" but performs them with flair. We have it on the best of authority that nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people, but Palm Beach Dramaworks seems to be doing quite well for itself by operating on the opposite assumption. 2010 January 8, Terry Teachout, “Theater: Science Takes the Stage”, in Wall Street Journal, retrieved 13 Sep 2015:
   • Ed Wood was a backwards genius, he set out to make horror movies and he didn’t know how to do it. . . . Mencken said, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.” Well, Ed Wood did go broke by underestimating their intelligence. 1988 April 23, “1988 OBIE Interview: Robert Anton Wilson”, in RAWilsonFans.org, retrieved 13 Sep 2015:
   • H. L. Mencken may have noted that no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people, but not even he could have anticipated this. Like Bill and Ted, their principal rivals among screen duos who play dumb, Wayne and Garth do their best to elevate stupidity to an art form. 1992 Feb. 14, Janet Maslin, "Film: A Dim Duo In a Revel Of Stupidity" (review of Wayne's World), New York Times (retrieved 13 Sep 2015)

Forms

Relateds

there's a sucker born every minute · nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people

wikipedia: Ralph Keyes (author) · wikipedia: Nora Ephron · wikipedia: H. L. Mencken