• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Language / Where did the Phrase “If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you” Come From?

Where did the Phrase “If you believe that, I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you” Come From?

June 22, 2020 by Karen Hill

After the Brooklyn Bridge was built in 1883, a young con man named George Parker approached the gullible as its owner, and after explaining the fortune to be made through toll booths, he would sell the bridge for as much as fifty thousand dollars.

Where did the Phrase

Parker went to jail for life, but not before selling the Statue of Liberty, Grant’s Tomb, and Madison Square Garden, and leaving us the expression, “I’ve got a bridge I’d like to sell you.”

George C. Parker was born in 1870, was one of the boldest con men in American history, and is remembered as one of the most successful con men in the history of the United States.

He managed to sell the Brooklyn Bridge twice a week for many years before being caught.

George died in prison in 1936.

Related Facts

  • Who invented the suspension bridge and How do engineers suspend suspension bridges?
  • Which Explorers First Explored the Continents of the World?
  • Did London Bridge Ever Really Fall Down and Where did the Nursery Rhyme Come From?
  • Where Is the Longest Bridge Span in the World?
  • What was the European Age of Exploration?
  • Why Was London Bridge Sold To the United States and How Many London Bridges Were There?

Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What do the Distress Letters SOS Stand For and How did the International Distress Signal Originate?
Next Post: Where did the Expression “With Bated Breath” Come From and What does it Mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy