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if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull

(slang, somewhat, vulgar) When one doesn't have all the facts or have a brilliant explanation, one can often convince people or win an argument by using nonsense.

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#1·Apr 27, 2026

(slang, somewhat, vulgar) When one doesn't have all the facts or have a brilliant explanation, one can often convince people or win an argument by using nonsense.

I said, "What do you do, Bill?" He says "Well, '''if I can't dazzle them with my brilliance I baffle them with my bull'''," and doggone if he doesn't.
Origin: Misattributed to W.C. Fields. Original source unknown. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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