Posted By:
Bob C
Trust, but Verify was a signature phrase of Ronald Reagan. He used it in public, although he was not the first person known to use it. When Reagan used this phrase, he was usually discussing relations with the Soviet Union and he almost always presented it as a translation of the Russian proverb "doveryai, no proveryai" (Trust, but Verify). At the signing of the INF Treaty he used it again and his counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev responded: "You repeat this phrase every time we meet," to which Reagan answered "I like it."
My feelings are Mr. Reagan's signature phrase also works well in the world of auctioneering particularly as it relates to the discussion/s in this thread. Bidders or potential bidders should not be blinkered to material facts such as house ownership of lots offered.