# Who coined this statement?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-this-statement/233395>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 10, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-this-statement/233395 "2004-03-10T01:57:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MyOld85MG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MyOld85MG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyOld85MG)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-this-statement/233395/1 "2004-03-10T01:57:00Z")

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**Xiphos** has the signature “The plural of anecdote is NOT data”.

I have searched the web and found a few variations on this, but no original attribution.

“The plural of anecdote is not ‘evidence’.”  
“The plural of anecdote is not ‘fact’.”

Does anyone know where it comes from?

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-this-statement/233395/2 "2004-03-10T02:18:41Z")

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I do not know, but I first heard it on Dr. Dean Edell’s radio program about 10 years ago.

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**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-this-statement/233395/3 "2004-03-10T02:48:45Z")

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[This web site](http://www.vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=86&page=4) claims that one Michael Quear, a technocrat in the U.S. House of Representatives. The site gives no reference though.

[This one](http://www.sysprog.net/quotdata.html) says Frank Kotsonis (looks lie a more reliable site). This site agrees: [http://www.clarity.net/~adam/quotes.html](http://www.clarity.net/~adam/quotes.html)

Haven’t found a date, though.

There seem to be several Frank Kotsonises. I’d guess its the one who does research on aspartame.

[This guy](http://liberaldesert.blogspot.com/2002_11_01_liberaldesert_archive.html) claims that Senator Moynihan said it over a decade ago, and that it shows up periodically in the congressional record. But, he doesn’t know if it was Moynihan’s original thought or not.

However, Moynihan’s saying was the opposite: The plural of anecdote _is_ data.

[This site](http://www.keypress.com/fathom/quotes.html) attributes it to Roger Brinner.

The skeptic report agrees.

The earliest date for the negative form ( **not** data) seems to be 1999.

I would guess the positive form has been around been around longer and is what **Earl Snake-Hips Tucker** recalls which also corresponds with Moynihan site. Then, scientists got pissy about it and started using the negative form, written down in the last 5-6 yrs.

The Brinner sites look better than the Kotsonis sites. Both Brinner and Kotsonis appear to be associated with medical research (Brinner with immunology).

Nobody has dates.

HTH

Tinker

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**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-this-statement/233395/4 "2004-03-10T03:01:33Z")

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hmm … this page [http://drugandhealthinfo.org/page05.php?ID=19](http://drugandhealthinfo.org/page05.php?ID=19) appears to site Martin Gardener in SKEPTICAL INQUIRER May/June 1999 p 13 as siting Dr. Herb Kleber of the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse.

This page [http://www.thesafetyvalve.com/archives/000080.html](http://www.thesafetyvalve.com/archives/000080.html) says its Howard Fienberg … but I’m not gonna try and figure out who that is.

OK … I’m done.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-coined-this-statement/233395/5 "2004-03-10T13:07:20Z")

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I didn’t make my point very clear. Dr. Dean said it, but was quoting someone else that he had heard say it. I do not recall that person’s name.