The Sunday Mail writes:
Telly know-all Stephen Fry has been embarrassingly duped by the story of a mythical Scots conman....
Fry - who often ridicules contestants for their wrong answers - said of the 1920s crook: "There was a great former actor from Glasgow called Arthur Furguson.
"He sold Nelson's Column - lions included - to an American tourist for £6000 and, on a trip to Paris, he managed to sell the Eiffel Tower as well, for scrap, to another gullible American.
Author Dane Love claims that the story was a media spoof - with Furguson having the same initials as April Fool.
An elf responds:
Much of the information that you see on QI is already "out there" in the public domain: the elves visit museums, lectures, search the net, magazines and newspapers, and contact experts in order to bring you the most interesting nuggets in humankind. When we find a fact, we attempt to verify it in a number of places that we consider trustworthy - two of our favourite books mention the Furguson story - but occasionally the entire media can be hoaxed.
Is this the case with Arthur Furguson? Well the fact is not as cut-and-dry as the Sunday Mail might have you believe. Dane Love certainly makes a strong case for the fact that Furguson is a myth, but, while it is hard to prove a negative, we would prefer a complete debunking. This could well be possible if someone could find the original source of the myth.
Which is where you could come in. QI has issued a plea for help. If anyone can disprove the existence of Arthur Furguson then - well, I'll let Stephen continue:
"I've instructed my elves to track down the shifty Mr Furguson and see if they can get him to stand up in court.
"That wise Scottish compromise 'not proven' is how the verdict stands and I'm eager to see if the QI team comes away the winner.
"If not, I look forward to welcoming two guests for the next series."
So far we've not been able to find a definitive answer, so can you help?
Quibble Questionable
Sources:
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/tv-showbiz-news/entertainment-news/2009/02/08/tv-quiz-host-stephen-fry-duped-by-story-of-fictional-scots-conman-78057-21105696/
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/tv-showbiz-news/entertainment-news/2009/02/15/stephen-fry-challenges-sunday-mail-readers-to-prove-him-wrong-over-show-claim-78057-21124303/
And of course, Mr Love's book itself:
The Man Who Sold Nelson's Column and other Scottish Frauds and Hoaxes (Birlinn, 2007) - Dane Love
Do you have a bone to pick with QI? E-mail us here: elves@qi.com
Telly know-all Stephen Fry has been embarrassingly duped by the story of a mythical Scots conman....
Fry - who often ridicules contestants for their wrong answers - said of the 1920s crook: "There was a great former actor from Glasgow called Arthur Furguson.
"He sold Nelson's Column - lions included - to an American tourist for £6000 and, on a trip to Paris, he managed to sell the Eiffel Tower as well, for scrap, to another gullible American.
Author Dane Love claims that the story was a media spoof - with Furguson having the same initials as April Fool.
An elf responds:
Much of the information that you see on QI is already "out there" in the public domain: the elves visit museums, lectures, search the net, magazines and newspapers, and contact experts in order to bring you the most interesting nuggets in humankind. When we find a fact, we attempt to verify it in a number of places that we consider trustworthy - two of our favourite books mention the Furguson story - but occasionally the entire media can be hoaxed.
Is this the case with Arthur Furguson? Well the fact is not as cut-and-dry as the Sunday Mail might have you believe. Dane Love certainly makes a strong case for the fact that Furguson is a myth, but, while it is hard to prove a negative, we would prefer a complete debunking. This could well be possible if someone could find the original source of the myth.
Which is where you could come in. QI has issued a plea for help. If anyone can disprove the existence of Arthur Furguson then - well, I'll let Stephen continue:
"I've instructed my elves to track down the shifty Mr Furguson and see if they can get him to stand up in court.
"That wise Scottish compromise 'not proven' is how the verdict stands and I'm eager to see if the QI team comes away the winner.
"If not, I look forward to welcoming two guests for the next series."
So far we've not been able to find a definitive answer, so can you help?
Quibble Questionable
Sources:
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/tv-showbiz-news/entertainment-news/2009/02/08/tv-quiz-host-stephen-fry-duped-by-story-of-fictional-scots-conman-78057-21105696/
http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/tv-showbiz-news/entertainment-news/2009/02/15/stephen-fry-challenges-sunday-mail-readers-to-prove-him-wrong-over-show-claim-78057-21124303/
And of course, Mr Love's book itself:
The Man Who Sold Nelson's Column and other Scottish Frauds and Hoaxes (Birlinn, 2007) - Dane Love
Do you have a bone to pick with QI? E-mail us here: elves@qi.com
In your "Con? Err..." Elf Response, you use the expression "cut-and-dry." I was brought up with the expression "cut-and-dried." I had assumed the expression referred to some sort of crop harvesting process (being definitively, indisputably and irretrievably complete.) Your version makes me think of a hairdressing salon and I struggle to make any sense of this context. IF...IF my version is correct, has your version become as, or more, popular by (erroneous?) usage? What is the origin of the expression? Supplementary question: when did a "cut-and-dry" first become a recognised hairdressing option?
By the way we LOVE QI! Especially Ronni Ancona, Graeme Garden, Sean Lock, David Mitchell and John Sessions