Barnum, Phineas Taylor
Barnum, Phineas Taylor (1810–91), American showman. He billed his circus, opened in 1871, as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’; ten years later he founded the Barnum and Bailey circus with his former rival Anthony Bailey (1847–1906).
Barnum was in use from the mid 19th century as a noun in the sense ‘nonsense, humbug’.
Barnum effect in psychology, the tendency to accept as true types of information such as character assessments or horoscopes, even when the information is so vague as to be worthless.
Barnum was in use from the mid 19th century as a noun in the sense ‘nonsense, humbug’.
Barnum effect in psychology, the tendency to accept as true types of information such as character assessments or horoscopes, even when the information is so vague as to be worthless.
More From encyclopedia.com
NEARBY TERMS
Barnum, Phineas Taylor