Sam Slick

fictional character

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July 16, 2026

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Sam Slick is a fictional character created by Canadian writer Thomas Chandler Haliburton. Introduced in the serial publication The Nova Scotian in 1835 and later collected in book form as The Clockmaker; or, The Sayings and Doings of Samuel Slick of Slickville, Sam Slick is depicted as a resourceful Yankee clock peddler and philosopher. Through Sam's dialogues and anecdotes, Haliburton satirically commented on human nature, the perceived shiftlessness of Nova Scotians, and the era's social and political trends. Many of Sam Slick's sayings have become common English idioms.1

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Thomas Chandler Haliburton
…known as the creator of Sam Slick, a resourceful Yankee clock peddler and cracker-barrel philosopher whose encounters with a variety of people illuminated Haliburton’s view of human nature.
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…known as the creator of Sam Slick, a resourceful Yankee clock peddler and cracker-barrel philosopher whose encounters with a variety of people illuminated Haliburton’s view of human nature.
Read More