What about the rest of Willie's inquiry?

[Manhunter]

Interesting exchanges regarding “Let them eat cake”, but Willie of Chicago also asked: Is the line in a class with Humphrey Bogart’s “Play it again, Sam”–i.e., bogus?

— -Willie H., Chicago

[Dunderman]

Link to the column.

I’m not following you. The answer is “yes, it appears to be bogus”. If it’s the bogusness of Bogart’s line you’re wondering about, he never spoke those words in Casablanca.

[DSYoungEsq]

@Manhunter

Interesting exchanges regarding “Let them eat cake”, but Willie of Chicago also asked: Is the line in a class with Humphrey Bogart’s “Play it again, Sam”–i.e., bogus?

— -Willie H., Chicago

You’ve waited 22 years to ask this?

Cecil doesn’t have to say: “Yes, Willie, it’s bogus” to convey that meaning for most people. Jus’ sayin’.

[samclem]

The definitive word on the “Let them eat cake” remark was contributed in two posts a few years ago by member and researcher Tammi Terrell. I’ll link to the two posts here and here. They represent the state of the art on the phrase and her responses are written with sources which would do the Straight Dope Science Advisory Board proud. (Hint, hint!)

As to Wilie’s question part deux,

Is the line in a class with Humphrey Bogart’s “Play it again, Sam”–i.e., bogus?

, the answer would be NO. Humphrey Bogart actually said, “Play it, Sam.” You can watch it in the movie. So, it’s not really a bogus line attributed to Bogart. It’s merely a slight variation on what he really said.

Unfortunately, I can’t find a contemporary movie of Marie saying anything like the phrase which has been attributed to her. So, the line is almost certainly bogus.

[Tammi_Terrell]

@samclem

The definitive word on the “Let them eat cake” remark was contributed in two posts a few years ago by member and researcher Tammi Terrell. I’ll link to the two posts here and here.

Thanks for that, samclem. I should point out that in the past year or so I’ve found attributions of “let them eat cake” (actually, variants of that phrase) to Marie Antoinette appearing before 1843. (The earliest dates to the mid-1820s.) What’s interesting is that they’re found in British writings. It’s possible that we’ll find a reference to this rumor in French writings that predate 1843 (including during the queen’s life and shortly after her execution), but so far nobody’s turned up any. It’s tempting to think, then, that the rumor originated in England, but it’s tough to say that this is the case. (This research will appear elsewhere in the near future.)

– Tammi Terrell

[DSYoungEsq]

@Tammi_Terrell

Thanks for that, samclem. I should point out that in the past year or so I’ve found attributions of “let them eat cake” (actually, variants of that phrase) to Marie Antoinette appearing before 1843. (The earliest dates to the mid-1820s.) What’s interesting is that they’re found in British writings. It’s possible that we’ll find a reference to this rumor in French writings that predate 1843 (including during the queen’s life and shortly after her execution), but so far nobody’s turned up any. It’s tempting to think, then, that the rumor originated in England, but it’s tough to say that this is the case. (This research will appear elsewhere in the near future.)

– Tammi Terrell

That wouldn’t be too surprising, given the number of ex-pat French noblemen and upper class who emigrated to England after the Revolution. You could certainly imagine the story starting among them or those who noshed with them…