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From: ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>)
Newsgroups: net.games.trivia
Subject: Re: Hobson's Choice
Message-ID: <7761@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 27-Jan-85 17:27:47 EST
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.7761
Posted: Sun Jan 27 17:27:47 1985
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Xref: seismo net.games.trivia:1497

> The combined resources of the net ought to be able to solve this for me:
> 
> 	Who was Hobson?  What was the choice he had to make?
> 
> Thanks.
> 
Hobson was Thomas Hobson (1544-1631) of Cambridge England, who rented
horses and gave his customer only one choice, that of the horse closest
to the stable door.   So says the Random House dictionary.  Actually, I
recall the story with slight variation.  When putting your horse in his
stable for the night, you had to choose first empty stall you came to.

-Ron