A neat meme! I do want to say one thing though- it is dubious that these devices are the original of that phrase- possible, but dubious.
The first recorded usage of the phrase comes years or decades after these devices fell out of popular usage. It is possible that the phrase came later though this is somewhat unlikely and no direct links I am aware to conclusively prove or even strongly suggest a link exist.
Another popular origin for the phrase is often said to be a reference to the practice of illusionists who used “smoke” and other tricks to obscure the truth of events on stage. The phrase “smoke and mirrors” is a direct example, and some believe that this is akin or related to the phrase, but using more crude language to suit the demographic or add emphasis or humor.
I have not found any compelling evidence of that either. The truth is that many colloquial phrases are hard to pin to a specific origin. It is also sometimes the case that similar or identical phrases…
… develop independently of each other and may have more than a single origin. Sometimes an original can also be obscured- we see this often with modern slang without the veil of time standing between us- where a phrase is used in a local dialect and then taken by others who hear it. The original meaning or origin may make sense to the original speakers but the “common sense” origin or meaning can be lost and new adopters may ascribe their own sense to it.
“Curiosity killed the cat” is an old example where cats- largely cautious by nature, are ascribed as curious- but “curiosity” in the original sense was “care,” however the use of “care” changed and was originally meant more like “anxiety” as cats cautiousness was a widely accepted perception.
In the modern world we tend to stereotype cats as relaxed or lazy as opposed to high strung (even though they are both and an individual cat has its own personality…)
So the original meaning was more akin to a warning about excessive worrying- and transformed to a warning about asking questions or pursuing things that could lead to trouble. The perception of cats and the changing of use of the word “care” contributed to the change and completely altered the meaning or how intuitive the phrase was to the listener. It’s common for people from different cultures to find idioms and such of others confusing or conflicting their logic- and cultures change with time. So the exact origins are disputed and may never be known for phrases like this. Fun stuff.
The first recorded usage of the phrase comes years or decades after these devices fell out of popular usage. It is possible that the phrase came later though this is somewhat unlikely and no direct links I am aware to conclusively prove or even strongly suggest a link exist.
Another popular origin for the phrase is often said to be a reference to the practice of illusionists who used “smoke” and other tricks to obscure the truth of events on stage. The phrase “smoke and mirrors” is a direct example, and some believe that this is akin or related to the phrase, but using more crude language to suit the demographic or add emphasis or humor.
I have not found any compelling evidence of that either. The truth is that many colloquial phrases are hard to pin to a specific origin. It is also sometimes the case that similar or identical phrases…
“Curiosity killed the cat” is an old example where cats- largely cautious by nature, are ascribed as curious- but “curiosity” in the original sense was “care,” however the use of “care” changed and was originally meant more like “anxiety” as cats cautiousness was a widely accepted perception.
So the original meaning was more akin to a warning about excessive worrying- and transformed to a warning about asking questions or pursuing things that could lead to trouble. The perception of cats and the changing of use of the word “care” contributed to the change and completely altered the meaning or how intuitive the phrase was to the listener. It’s common for people from different cultures to find idioms and such of others confusing or conflicting their logic- and cultures change with time. So the exact origins are disputed and may never be known for phrases like this. Fun stuff.