Diddling, Considered as One of the Exact Sciences - an Edgar Allan Poe Short Story

by Edgar Allan Poe

Humour? Tongue in cheek? Do you associate these with Edgar Allan Poe? You might when you read this one.

The short entry is an essay on "diddling," a word which has gone out of style. Yet it seems to us that it would still serve a very useful purpose today. What is a diddle? The best way to describe it can be found in the Cambridge English Dictionary: "to get money from someone in a way that is not honest." They use examples of, "He diddled me! He said that there were six [items] in a bag, but there were only five." Or, "I checked the bill and realized the restaurant had diddled me out of £5." Poe is writing about a type of commercial fraud, smaller and more personal in nature than defrauding a bank on a large land deal for example.

Poe sets out the characteristics of diddling and diddlers: minuteness, (self)-interest, perseverance, ingenuity, audacity, nonchalance, originality, impertinence, and grinning. He then proceeds to outline numerous examples of diddling in the 1840s. Different times, but with the same objective, to part you from your money.

Librarian's note: this entry is for the story, "Diddling." Collections of short stories by the author can be found elsewhere on Goodreads.

Genres: Short Stories, Classics, Fiction, Literature, Humor, 19th Century, Philosophy

26 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1843

About the author

The name Poe brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. His works have been in print since 1827 and include such literary classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. This versatile writer’s oeuvre includes short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and hundreds of essays and book reviews. He is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the modern detective story and an innovator in the science fiction genre, but he made his living as America’s first great literary critic and theoretician. Poe’s reputation today rests primarily on his tales of terror as well as on his haunting lyric poetry.

Just as the bizarre characters in Poe’s stories have captured the public imagination so too has Poe himself. He is seen as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles. This is the Poe of legend. But much of what we know about Poe is wrong, the product of a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to defame the author’s name.

The real Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Edgar was the second of three children. His other brother William Henry Leonard Poe would also become a poet before his early death, and Poe’s sister Rosalie Poe would grow up to teach penmanship at a Richmond girls’ school. Within three years of Poe’s birth both of his parents had died, and he was taken in by the wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia while Poe’s siblings went to live with other families. Mr. Allan would rear Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had dreams of being a writer in emulation of his childhood hero the British poet Lord Byron. Early poetic verses found written in a young Poe’s handwriting on the backs of Allan’s ledger sheets reveal how little interest Poe had in the tobacco business.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_al...

Reviews

[Bionic Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diddling Considered as One of the Exact Sciences (1843) is a very droll piece by Edgar Allan Poe. The use of the jocular term "diddling" makes it clear from the title that it will be a facetious essay, intended to amuse. Up until comparatively recently the word "diddling" was commonly used as a slang wry term for a swindler, employing a confidence trick, so the indignant victim might say, "He diddled me out of five pounds!" Unfortunately though it now also has a very earthy, some may say obscene, urban meaning, which means that a modern audience has to take the norms of Poe's time on board even more than usual.

Poe begins by analysing the necessary attributes of a diddler, and then goes on to describe in detail some common methods of cheating in this way. It certainly is amusing, and ironic to think with hindsight that although the details in which Poe's society operates are now obsolete, the swindles are immediately transposable to our modern lives at home, in the community and society at large. Human nature remains constant. As Poe observes,

"A crow thieves; a fox cheats; a weasel outwits; a man diddles. To diddle is his destiny."

[Majenta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humor or horror? You be the judge...

"'But me no buts"--who knew that phrase went back that far?--"sir, and none of your tricks upon travellers.'"

"Application should be made between the hours of ten and eleven A.M., and four and five P.M., of Messrs. Bogs, Hogs, Logs, Frogs, and Co., No. 110 Dog Street.."

Please read responsibly. Thank you.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating story about grifters.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

A look at the multitude of ways one can scam people out of money, also known as diddling, according to the author.

[Allison Faught · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is about the liars and cheats of the world (we’ve all come into contact with those). It talks about the ingredients of a ‘diddler’ who possesses: Minuteness, Interest, Perseverance, Ingenuity, Audacity, Nonchalance, Originality, Impertinence and Grin.
Interesting take on the scoundrels of the world. They’ve always been around and will probably always be.

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edgar Allan Poe, the man of gloomy ravens and telltale hearts—takes a playful detour in “Diddling,” swapping shadowy Gothic intrigue for the gleeful art of swindling!!!

Poe reimagines trickery as a noble science
His examples are delightfully ludicrous: a man sells soap by stuffing it with coins, making customers scramble for the chance to get rich with every lather.
Get ready to get a glimpse of Poe’s comedic chops!!! It's a rare treat for us, fans<3

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. Not a mystery, not a horror story, and not a poem, but it amused me. Edgar Allan Poe is full of surprises; here he writes a ten page essay on the subject of diddling. With a sub-title, "Considered as one of the exact sciences." Is that so? His usage for the word has disappeared. Two meanings can occasionally still be heard, one as a synonym for "fiddle" as in, "He diddled around with the car motor." The other relates to sex, "Those two have been diddling in the park for weeks." No, Poe's subject is petty fraud and its perpetrators, 1840s style. I found it in a 1960 collection, "The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales;" it was first in "The Saturday Courier" in 1843. He offers many examples of diddles. One of the best relates to a housekeeper looking to buy a new sofa, "She arrives at [a store] offering an excellent variety. She is accosted and invited to enter by a polite and voluble individual at the door. She is surprised and delighted to hear a sum named [for a sofa she likes] at least 20% lower than her expectations." She pays but the next day it isn't delivered. Why? The man who sold her the furniture didn't work there! She had been diddled. Delightful. (January 2021)

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diddling was an entertaining read from Poe – not a laugh-out-loud funny piece, but one that offered amusement. It comes across as an essay but is really a collection of fictious diddlings. Each entertains in a different way, ensuring the reader is happy to power through it.

For anyone interested in reading all the different things Poe offers, Diddling is well worth the read.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you've got the inclination I have the crime

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The socioeconomic contemporary setting of Poe at the time of the writing of Diddling. Considered As One Of The Exact Sciences in 1843 was a Depression that followed the Financial Panic of 1837. In times of financial uncertainty the moral fiber of society declines as crime rises many people resort to creative endeavors to survive such as diddling which was a representation of swindling in antebellum American culture. Poe's essay contains quite amusing antidotes concerning this form of entrepreneurial enterprise. For some reason while I was reading this very droll, witty and insightful exposé I couldn't help but picture Michael Palin, John Cleese and Eric Idle doing a Monty Python style skit involving some of the scenarios depicted by Poe with a possible new updated title called Con Artistry for Dummies. I think Poe would have got a kick out of that.
'

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally. Finally a scientific study that I can fully support

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally speaking, I haven't found myself the biggest fan of Poe. When I started my journey reading all of his stories, my experience was with about 5 of his most popular short stories and I was familiar with them because those are the ones teachers used and I know now that they chose those for a good reason.

So, when I give this one 4 stars, I wouldn't say it's on par with other works I've rated 4 stars, but comparing it to his other works, I decided to give it 4 stars, because it caught my fancy.

First off, get your mind out of the gutter and take a trip to the past, Poe's time to be exact, when diddling meant something completely different. I had never heard of this word (in a non-sexual context) and sort of thought Poe was just making it up. It's quite obvious from the story that a "diddler" is a conman. Come to find out, this was, apparently, a common phrase of the era.

There wasn't much of a story, just a lot of tongue-in-cheek examples of what it means to be a "great diddler."

Man is an animal that diddles, and there is no animal that diddles but man...."Man was made to mourn," says the poet. But not so:-he was made to diddle.

I found it quirky and amusing. Maybe, partly, because diddling is such a funny word. Poe takes a lot of high quality traits, such as perseverance and originality, and explains how the diddler exemplifies all of them. For instance, under originality:

His thoughts are his own. He would scorn to employ those of another...He would return a purse, I am sure, upon discovering that he had obtained it by an unoriginal diddle.

Bonus points were also give for the use of the phrase "high dudgeon" which I'm quite fond of.

[Fernando · Rating 2 out of 5]

En este pequeño ensayo que además incluye un pequeño relato ejemplificador, Poe nos detalla los distintos tipos de embaucadores con los que uno puede encontrarse, clasificándolos según su pequeñez, interés, perseverancia, ingenio, "nonchalance", originalidad, impertinencia y risita socarrona.

[K. Anna Kraft · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed this. But I arranged my thoughts into a haiku:

"While no parody,
This is the closest Poe comes
To aping Mark Twain."

[Leah Coffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t let the title fool you. This is about con artists of the 1843 variety. Holds up surprisingly well.

[Forked Radish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diddling for dollars in the new Amazonia. In petto = in miniature.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty cute. Not so much a story as a collection of different scams that were circulating at that time. I enjoyed it though.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of various con's.

[Pierre Dantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The natural, instinctual plight of man!

[Lilly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out “diddling” and “nonce” meant very different things in the 19th century

[M. Ashraf · Rating 2 out of 5]

Diddling
Edgar Allan Poe
Another short from Poe but not the horror gory type; you get that from the title :p diddling punch of scams, near funny situations, a bit tedious, did not like it that much.
Continue the journey of the collected works...

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of Poe's explanatory tales about how to be crook. He gives lots of examples for those who want to learn the art.

[German Pieslinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

"A crow thieves; a fox cheats; a weasel outwits; a man diddles."

[A Mig · Rating 2 out of 5]

a discourse on diddlers, without much interest (note that it is the early 19th century definition of diddling)... Might be amusing to some.

[Mehars23 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. I found it quite humorous for some reason.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t tell if this is supposed to be humorous or simply a recounting of various popular 19th century scams. It was entertaining either way.

[Timothy McNulty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hey,diddle diddle, The cat and the fiddle. So begins this short story by Edgar Allen Poe. Written in October of 1843 it is of an unusual topic that is well known yet at the same time hardly thought about. Poe states that every human is guilty of doing this he says that Adam was probably a "diddler" himself. Then he goes further and breaks down different kinds of "diddlers" and different ways that they diddle. I wish while reading this that Poe were able to watch the movie the music man. I believe he would've found it quite interesting. We have other words for some of the behavior that Poe gave as an example of Diddling in today's society. Many of which are very shady to say the least. Also so much so that it has become almost second nature now to never trust someone no further than you can throw them. Yet we as a human race all diddle according to Poe and after a close look and given great thought I guess I to will agree. Still as a short story this is quite boring and I found myself falling asleep more than once.

[Delanie Dooms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diddling is synonymous with swindling.

He is a financier on a small scale; he is interested merely in his self-interest; he is ingenious and original; he will be nonchalant and impertinent; and he will grin in private at his evil doings.

It is a very funny story that can be applied, if not to the methods of today, certainly to the means by which self-interest based economics can corrupt a person into becoming a swindler.

Poe's narrator assumes that diddling is the natural state of the human; it is from diddling that our purpose derives. He is Aristotelian in the supposed importance of acting on this urge, and his playful way of defining humans is funny:

Had Plato but hit upon this [that men are naturally diddlers], he would have been spared the affront of the picked chicken. Very pertinently it was demanded of Plato, why a picked chicken, which was clearly a "biped without feathers," was not, according to his definition, a man!

[midnightfaerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story just tickled me pink and had me chuckling all the way through. Although a word not used much anymore, Diddling was often directed at less than honest people, especially during Poe's time. Even though it might sound like something lewd, it actually means to swindle people out of their money in a dishonest way. Poe's dive into being a human dictionary along with the numerous examples he gave along the way made this one of my favorite Poe's in awhile. Well written and engaging, his tongue-in-cheek style is reminiscent of sarcasm when used as a weapon, teaching those ignorant souls who are attacked with synonyms of what the word represents. It's almost as if a librarian wrote it. I enjoyed it thoroughly and so far, it's one of my favorites.

[Amelia Bujar · Rating 2 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW ON MY WEBSITE
https://thebookcornerchronicles.com/2...

The writing style was pretty poor, it was so poor that it almost didn’t look likt Edgar Allan Poe have written it.

This story was not a mystery, not a horror story, and not a poem but still it is worth to read it if you are a Edgar Allan Poe fan like me.

It was an entertaining read, but it could have been much better than it actually was.

This story sort of seems more like an essay than a short story. But it also have sort of a collection of factious diddlings vibe to it.

This one seems like more a collection of various scams that were circulating at that time.