Help Identify This Quotation

[Bill McFadden]

Before the non-subscriber diaspora begins, I'm asking for your help in identifying the source of the following (paraphrased) quotation:

"A gentleman is an individual who professes to know a good many card tricks, but does not offer to demonstrate any."

So who said that? It's been driving me nuts for years! Thanks in advance for your help, or educated guess.

Cheers,
McF

[Ian Kendall]

Reminds me a lot of the official definition of a gentleman; someone who knows how to play the piano accordian and does not.

I doubt it's a verbal quote, more like something written in an article.

Take care, Ian

[Guest]

I have heard this attributed to George Bernard Shaw as "A gentleman knows how to play the bagpipes, but refrains from doing so."

[Michael Edwards]

For some reason, this inquiry reminded me of a passage from W. Somerset Maugham's Mr. Know All:

"Do you like card tricks?"

"No, I hate card tricks," I answered.

"Well, I`ll just show you this one."

He showed me three.

[Bill McFadden]

Thanks, fellas! We're all in the same ballpark apparently; and as Ian observes, the "quotation" may be something I read in a text somewhere - a variation on the theme of, "a gentleman is ..."

Previous educated guesses include G. B. Shaw, Maugham, Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Damon Runyon, and H. L. Mencken.

Someday, I'll solve it . . .