Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard (1736); reported as a proverb in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 642.
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Three things are men most likely to be cheated in, a horse, a wig, and a wife.

— Benjamin Franklin on English proverbs (alphabetically by proverb)

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Three things are men most likely to be cheated in, a horse, a wig, and a wife." in the context of "Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard (1736); reported as a proverb in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 642." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "English proverbs (alphabetically by proverb)" (Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations: Quotes reported as proverbs in Hoyt's New Cyclopedia Of Practical Quotations (1922), p. 639-43., Proverbs and Popular Phrases: (Alphabetically arranged by text of quote).) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Benjamin Franklin

About Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (17 January 1706 – 17 April 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, and a diplomatic scientific and novice electrician; he was a major figure in the U.S. Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. As an inventor, he is known for the lightning rod, for keeping bifocals fog-free, and the Franklin stove, among other inventions. He facilitated many civic organizations, including Philadelphia's fire department and the University of Pennsylvania.