acknowledge the corn

An American expression. Its origin is usually explained via the punch line to some humorous story, but the story and the literal meaning of the punch line vary greatly. * In a debate on tariffs in the U.S. Congress in 1828, Rep. Stewart of Pennsylvania claims that Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio exported corn to Pennsylvania; on being challenged by Rep. Wickliffe of Kentucky, Stewart explains that the corn to which he alluded is exported in the interiors of hogs fed on that corn. Wickliffe replies contritely, "I acknowledge the corn." * A Louisiana gambler, while drunk, wagers and loses a large quantity of corn and potatoes; when the winner comes to collect, the gambler says, "I acknowledge the corn, but the potatoes you can't have!" * A New Englander boasts of their fine corn fields; a Western visitor says "That's nothing! I'll send you some of our seven-foot corn." He does so, and receives a grudging telegram in reply: "I acknowledge the corn." * A drinker is accused of having imbibed too much corn whisky. He retorts, "I acknowledge the corn," implicitly refusing to acknowledge the "whisky" part of the accusation. In actual usage, though, the phrase was usually associated with drunkenness, which suggests the last of these explanations ("corn" as synecdoche for "corn whisky") is probably closest to the true origin.

• "I hope he will give up the argument, or to use a familiar phrase acknowledge the corn."
• "1859, J. Underwood, letter to the editor, Samuel W. Cole (editor), The New England Farmer, Volume 11, I should like to take a job of that kind on a wager with him, or any other New Hampshire man, and if I did not come out a little ahead on the "home stretch," why then I would "acknowledge the corn," and own myself beaten."
• "Will the hon. gentleman acknowledge the corn? He does not do it. He is non-committal."
• "They had simply to "acknowledge the corn," round up, and — "vamoose"; then, so soon as the soldiers had gone back to the fort, there was no law to prevent their returning."

• concessio
• concession
• elephant in the room
• emperor's new clothes
• kernel of truth
• paromologia
• paromology