The AFU and Urban Legend Archive
Misc
 salty interview




From: gbeaty@crel-media.com (Gary Beaty)
Newsgroups: alt.folklore.urban
Subject: vector FAQ: interviewee salting food
Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 19:21:08 GMT

Was perusing the FAQ when I noticed the following:

Fb. Henry Ford/Gen. Douglas McArthur/IBM Rep./et al. tests an interviewee by when they salt their food during lunch.

In the mid 1950's I heard J.C. Penney make a speech in which he attributed the above to himself. The occasion of the speech was the opening of the first Penney's store in the Nashville, TN area. and was given from the pulpit of City Road Chapel Methodist Church in Madison, TN. Apparently he was visiting the local churches and giving each some sort of sermon/speech, most likely in the hopes of drumming up business.

I remember it vividly. At the time I was in junior high school and I thought it was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard an adult say. Now that I'm in MY mid-50's it still ranks in the top ten. But, I have thought of it every time I've been in a job interview (on either side of the table!).

The entry in the FAQ is the first mention of the topic I've heard since I heard the original statement.

Gary "Of course that doesn't mean he did it" Beaty


http://tafkac.org/