"sign of a misspent youth"

C

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
This is one of the most common things I hear out of bangers after they've run 3 balls. Typically they anoint themselves. It is also one of the most famous quotes about billiards. But has anyone ever wondered where it comes from?

Here it is: From Clifton Fadiman's Book of Anecdotes, he refers to Herbert Spencer, a philosopher and an economist. By billiards he refers to English Billiards.

"Spencer was playing billiards with a subaltern who was a highly proficient player. In a game of fifty up Spencer gave a miss in balk and his opponent made a run of fifty in his first inning. The frusterated philosopher remarked, 'A certain dexteriety in games of skill argues a well-balanced mind, but such such dexterity as you have shown is evidence, I fear, of a misspent youth.'"

I don't know the date on this, however herbert Spencer lived from 1820-1903.
 
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Cameron Smith said:
This is one of the most common things I hear out of bangers after they've run 3 balls. Typically they anoint themselves. It is also one of the most famous quotes about billiards. But has anyone ever wondered where it comes from?

Here it is: From Clifton Fadiman's Book of Anecdotes, he refers to Herbert Spencer, a philosopher and an economist. By billiards he refers to English Billiards.

"Spencer was playing billiards with a subaltern who was a highly proficient player. In a game of fifty up Spencer gave a miss in balk and his opponent made a run of fifty in his first inning. The frusterated philosopher remarked, 'A certain dexteriety in games of skill argues a well-balanced mind, but such such dexterity as you have shown is evidence, I fear, of a misspent youth.'"

I don't know the date on this, however herbert Spencer lived from 1820-1903.
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It's "misspent youth". As in he stayed in the poolhall as a kid.
 
I am taking this as if the kid who ran the 50 balls has wasted his youth by playing pool?
 
Johnnyt said:
And I always thought my Mother came up with that line and the going blind one. Johnnyt
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I had an argument for the going blind one, " but mom, I don't even wear glasses yet!!
 
"A certain dexteriety in games of skill argues a well-balanced mind, but such such dexterity as you have shown is evidence, I fear, of a misspent youth.'"

I've read this before, somewhere.

The first thing that came to my mind
when I first read this was Efren Reyes.

Efren had to go to live and work at his
uncle's pool hall in Manila to help support
his family and all.

That is not misspent youth in my book.
And I kid you not.

:)
 
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